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HP_V5.1
14 off-grid getaway
Samuel Gray
Inexperience didnt stop Samuel from doing it himself! This owner-
built adobe getaway cabin is heated and powered by the sun.
22 wind hybrid grid-tied
Bernd Geisler
Finally, a small and simple wind-electric system thats intertied
directly to the gridwithout batteries.
32 RE myths debunked
Home Power staff
The Home Power crew examines and dispels the most common
renewable energy myths.
42 energy in perspective
Randy Udall
In 1800, nothing moved faster than a horse; not people, goods, or
information. Nowadays, a typical car owner has more than a 100
times that power. Can we keep it up? What should the Sun Clan do?
46 PV systemgrid-tied
Mickey Mestel
The Mestels expand their solar family by installing a grid-intertied
solar-electric system on their rented suburban home.
home power 100 / april & may 2004
HP100
contents
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Regulars
10 From Us to You
Richard Perez
HP celebrates issue #100.
78 What the Heck?
Chuck Marken
Code book.
100 Nuts & Bolts
Mike Brown
Nuts, bolts, & fasteners.
104 Code Corner
John Wiles
NECpast, present,
future.
108 Independent
Power Providers
Don Loweburg
A winning solar strategy.
112 Power Politics
Michael Welch
Solutions for an RE world.
116 Word Power
Ian Woofenden
Summary of basic terms.
118 Home & Heart
Kathleen
Jarschke-Schultze
Stories from Home
Powers early days.
132 Ozonal Notes
Richard Perez
HP Centralthen
and now.
80 HP Subscription
Form
122 RE Happenings
126 Letters to
Home Power
138 Q&A
140 Readers
Marketplace
142 Installers Directory
144 Advertisers Index
9
www.homepower.com
54 straw bale construction
Laura Struempler
Identifying and meeting your straw bale design goals will achieve
the beautiful, natural, energy efficient home you want.
64 solar history
John Perlin
Learn the history of solar hot water systemsan American
original dating back to 1891.
70 sun science
Bob Yoesle
Life on planet Earth owes everything to the Sun. Bob Yoesle pays
homage to our nearest star with a look at the suns science.
82 REview
Ian Woofenden
This battery watering system makes maintaining flooded lead-acid
batteries a quick, safe, and accurate slam-dunk.
86 investing in solar
Paul Symanski
Investing in solar electricity can beat an investment in the stock
market. Learn why from Paul Symanskis financial analysis.
94 camp solar
Chelsea Armijo
Kids write about what they learned and the fun they had at Camp-Us,
Renewable Energy Youth Camp.
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home power 100 / april & may 2004
10
from us to you
HP staff
Publisher Richard Perez
Publisher &
Business Manager Karen Perez
CEO &
Technical Editor Joe Schwartz
Advertising Manager Connie Said
Marketing Director Scott Russell
Customer Service
& Circulation Shannon Ryan
Nat Lieske
Managing Editor Linda Pinkham
Senior Editor & Word
Power Columnist Ian Woofenden
Senior Research
Editor & Power
Politics Columnist Michael Welch
Art Director Benjamin Root
Graphic Designer &
Article Submissions
Coordinator Eric Grisen
Chief Information
Officer Rick Germany
Data Acquisition
Specialist AJ Rossman
Solar Thermal
Editor Chuck Marken
Solar Thermal
Technical Reviewers Ken Olson
Smitty Schmitt
Green Building
Editors Rachel Ware
Laurie Stone
Johnny Weiss
Transportation
Editors Shari Prange
Mike Brown
Home & Heart
Columnist Kathleen
Jarschke-Schultze
Code Corner
Columnist John Wiles
Independent Power
Providers Columnist Don Loweburg
HP access
Home Power, Inc.
PO Box 520, Ashland, OR 97520 USA
Phone: 800-707-6585 or 541-512-0201
Fax: 541-512-0343
hp@homepower.com
letters@homepower.com
Subscriptions, Back Issues, & Other
Products: Shannon and Nat
subscription@homepower.com
Advertising: Connie Said
advertising@homepower.com
Marketing & Resale: Scott Russell
marketing@homepower.com
Editorial Submissions: Eric Grisen
submissions@homepower.com
www.homepower.com
Think About It
At first people refuse to believe that a strange new thing can be done.
Then they begin to hope it can be done. Then they see it can be done.
Then it is done and all the world wonders why it was not done centuries ago.
Frances Hodgson Burnett, Author, The Secret Garden
Copyright 2004 Home Power, Inc. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted or otherwise reproduced
without written permission. While Home Power magazine strives for clarity and accuracy, we assume no responsibility
or liability for the use of this information.
Legal: Home Power (ISSN 1050-2416) is published bi-monthly for $22.50 per year at PO Box 520, Ashland, OR 97520.
International surface subscription for US$30. Periodicals postage paid at Ashland, OR, and at additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER send address corrections to Home Power, PO Box 520, Ashland, OR 97520.
Paper and Ink Data: Cover paper is Aero Gloss, a 100#, 10% recycled (postconsumer-waste), elemental chlorine-free
paper, manufactured by Sappi Fine Paper. Interior paper is Connection Gloss, a 50#, 80% postconsumer-waste,
elemental chlorine-free paper, manufactured by Madison International, an environmentally responsible mill based in
Alsip, IL. Printed using low VOC vegetable-based inks. Printed by St. Croix Press, Inc., New Richmond, WI.
A World of Change, One Issue at a Time
Here we are publishing the 100th issue of Home Power. I am continually
amazed at what our readers are doing, at the shape of the RE industry,
and at the brightness of the future. I had no idea that things would go
and grow so quickly when we put the first issue of Home Power in the
mails back in November of 1987.
Back when we started, a big PV module was 50 watts and it carried a
10 year warranty. Now, 150 watt modules are common, and most have 25
year warranties. Perhaps the brightest news is that these new modules
cost roughly half as much per watt as the earlier ones. Today we are
blessed with better and less expensive equipment in all the RE fields
solar, wind, and microhydro electricity, solar thermal, and alternative
vehicles. The end is nowhere in sight.
Many of these advances are due to the growth of the RE industryto
the folks who actually make the hardware. The number of companies has
increased radically, and we now have a wide variety of system
components to choose from. The users of RE have changed over the
years too. Once, small-scale RE was strictly the bailiwick of off-gridders.
Now the fastest growing segment of RE users is on-grid. Once RE was
strictly the domain of do-it-yourselfersif you didnt design and install
the system yourself, it didnt happen at all. Now most folks hire a dealer
to design and install their system.
We began publishing Home Power with the intention of changing the
way the world makes electricity. Since 1987, weve been supplying you
with the hands-on technical information you need to make intelligent
and cost-effective RE decisions, and putting you in touch with
manufacturers and dealers through the advertising in our pages. Were
looking forward to publishing the next 100 issues of Home Power, and
cant wait to see what changes our collective efforts bring.
Richard Perez for the whole Home Power crew
100 75 50 25 1
Dealers Wanted
for North and
South America
Dealers Wanted
for North and
South America
511 N.E. 15th Street, Miami, FL 33132
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is also very smart. As are their built in AC and DC disconnects. But the pure genius of our
new grid-tied inverters is how smart they make you.
Every Fronius inverter comes with built-in efficiency tracking and user-friendly system
management tools. So you can easily track more than 20 critical system performance
parameters. In real time, or by viewing cumulative histories that can help you identify
efficiency improvements or isolate faults. Even PC-based software for remote analysis
and performance monitoring is available.
So find out more about Fronius, an international leader with 50 years of inverter design
and manufacturing experience. Then make the smart choice.
Its the smartest thing in
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POWERI NG YOUR FUTURE
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14
home power 100 / april & may 2004
Samuel Gray
2004 Samuel Gray
I stayed in a nearby inn during the early stages of
building my adobe casita near Abiquiu, New
Mexico. When the grid shut down for over fourteen
hours during one of my visits, I learned a brutal
lesson about the dangers of grid-powered
electricity. What I never realized was that when the
grid fails, rural water systems fail along with it. You
can live a long time without electricity in New
Mexico, but you cant live long without water
anywhere. A fourteen-hour blackout was more than
enough to convince me to go solar with my own
water system.
15
www.homepower.com
off-grid getaway
My casita is located 1 mile (1.6 km)
west of Abiquiu on a 5 acre, worn-out
potato field I bought ten years ago
when I lived in Virginia. I didnt know
anything about photovoltaics when I
bought the property, but I did know
that the property was perfect for
passive solar heating. The land gently
slopes to the south toward the nearby
Chama River and has a spectacular,
unobstructed southerly view of the
river valley and the mountains beyond.
Adobe Construction
After moving to New Mexico, my
wife and I wanted to build a casita on
the property to use as a getaway.
During our research, we were
impressed with adobe and its potential
for an owner-built, passive solar
heated building. The adobe provides
thermal mass that stores heat during
the day and releases it at night when it
is most needed. The solar-adobe
concept seemed a no-brainer for us.
Once we had committed to an adobe
casita, we realized we were in over our
heads. I had previously done some
standard frame construction, but knew
nothing about adobe. Fortunately,
Northern New Mexico Community
College in nearby El Rito offers courses
in all phases of adobe building. I signed
up for an intensive three-week course,
and my wife and I were laying adobe
bricks on my casita by the end of
summer. The professor, Quentin Wilson,
has visited my casita many times since
then to offer advice and encouragement.
I also learned a great deal along the way
from an Internet adobe discussion
group, moderated by the very same
Professor Wilson.
The casita is very tinyjust one
room and slightly under 120 square
feet (11 m
2
). Its not yet finished, but
quite livable nevertheless. It has a bed,
a desk and a chair, a small kitchen
counter, and lots of shelves. The
building is constructed with 4 by 10 by
14 inch (10 x 25 x 36 cm) adobe bricks
mortared with mud from the site. I
oriented the structure 12 degrees east
of magnetic south and used lots of
glass on the south wall to collect free
solar energy during the winter. The
outside walls are cement stucco over 2
inches (5 cm) of rigid insulation.
Water System
The well was drilled in April 2003
by a local drilling contractor. It is 115
feet (35 m) deep, with a 6 inch (15 cm)
steel casing perforated for water veins
at 30 feet (9 m) and 90 feet (27 m). The
recharge rate tested at 40 gallons (150 l)
per minute, and about 85 feet (26 m) of
water stands in the well.
When the well was completed, I had
the drilling contractor install an
underground pump house to hold the
80 gallon (300 l) pressure tank and
plumbing. I also wanted to temporarily
put my PV systems batteries and
controls in the pump house. Later on,
theyll have their own structure.
By building the pump house
underground, we avoided the
necessity of heating that space in the
winter to prevent frozen pipes. Our
contractor built the pump house out of
a piece of 5 foot (1.5 m) diameter
corrugated steel culvert set upright.
The floor is 3 inches (7.6 cm) of pea
gravel, and the roof consists of a 4 inch
(10 cm) thick slab of poured concrete
with a 32 inch (81 cm) access cover.
Even though the well head is above
ground, the water line from the well to
the pump house is buried 4 feet (1.2 m)
underground to prevent the delivery
pipe from freezing. A very clever
The PV panels, pump house, and frost-proof hydrant were sited well away
from the well head for convenience in servicing the well.
By cutting the well casing into ten foot
sections and then welding them back
together in place, the driller was able to
complete the well working alone.
His equipment was antiquated,
but it did an excellent job.
System overview
System type: Off-grid PV
Location: Abiquiu, New Mexico
Solar resource: 6.2 average annual peak sun hours
Production: 14 AC KWH per month average
Photovoltaics
Modules: 2 Siemens SM55, 55 W STC, 12 VDC nominal
Array: 110 W STC, 24 VDC nominal
Array disconnect: Square D general duty safety switch,
30 A
Array installation: UniRac top-of-pole mount
Balance of System
Charge controller: Trace C40, PWM
Inverter: Exeltech XP 250, 12 VDC nominal input, 120
VAC nominal output
System performance metering: Link 10 digital meter
DC-to-DC converter: Solar Converters EQ 12/24-20,
95% efficiency
Pump: Shurflo 9300 submersible, 24 VDC nominal, 1.8
amps draw open flow to 3.4 amps at 50 psi, 2 gpm at
open flow, about 1.5 gpm at 50 psi.
Energy Storage
Batteries: 4 Interstate, U2200 Workaholic, flooded,
lead-acid, 6 VDC nominal, 220 AH at 20 hour rate
Battery pack: 24 VDC nominal, 220 AH total
Battery/inverter disconnect/overcurrent protection:
DC-rated 30 amp fuse
Technical Specifications
16
home power 100 / april & may 2004
off-grid getaway
device called a pitless adaptor was
used to make it easy to remove the
pump for maintenance and repair. The
submersible pump wire travels to the
pump house via a 1 inch conduit.
The pump is a 24 volt Shurflo
submersible with a maximum flow
rate of about 2 gallons (7.6 l) per
minute. I installed it myself, working
alone, by using 8 foot (2.4 m) threaded
sections of
1
/2 inch PVC drop pipe. The
pump is designed for pumping into a
storage tank or water tower rather
than a pressure tank. Since my water
needs are small and my pump is only
40 feet (12 m) below ground, I decided
to try it with a pressure tank.
The drawdown on the 80 gallon
(300 l) pressure tank is about 35 gallons
(132 l), more than I anticipate needing
at any given time. After the
drawdown, it takes about 20 minutes
for the pump to recharge the tank back
to 50 psi. When I move here
permanently, I will have to install a
bigger pump or a storage tank with a
booster pump to supply the pressure
tank. For my current needs, what I
have works fine.
PV System
The primary purpose of the PV
system is to supply 24 volts DC to the
submersible pump. Many PV systems
for rural water supply are designed
PV directthe pump runs only when
the sun shines. That is the most efficient
system if youre pumping into a storage
tank with an additional pressure pump
or an elevated tank that relies on
gravity for pressurizing. Pumping
directly into a pressure tank, however,
requires access to continuous electricity.
I used two Siemens SM55 PV panels,
rated at 55 watts each, that I purchased
on eBay. The Siemens modules have
excellent tolerance for the hot
temperatures in Abiquius summers,
when water needs are the highest. The
PV panels output is regulated by a
Trace C40 controller, and used to charge
four, 6 volt, golf cart batteries connected
in series. On the recommendation of
Home Powers John Wiles, I grounded the
system directly to the 115 foot (35 m)
steel well casing. A Link 10 digital
meter, power disconnects, a pump
switch, and fusing complete the DC part
of the installation.
DC electricity is supplied to the
submersible pump via a two-
conductor, #10 (5 mm
2
), submersible
pump cable. The pump is switched on
the control panel and also through a
pressure switch set to turn the pump
on at 30 psi and off at 50 psi. The
Shurflo draws about 1.8 amps at open
flow and about 3.4 amps at 50 psi.
While my main purpose was to
supply water, I also wanted a small
amount of AC for the casita, located
AC Loads Qty.
Avg.
Hrs. /
Day Watts
Avg. WH
/ Day
Max
Inverter
Watts
Laptop 1 4.00 40 160.00 40
Battery chargers: tools 3 3.00 15 135.00 45
Compact fluorescent lights 2 2.00 25 100.00 50
Fluorescent bug light 1 2.00 17 34.00 17
Battery chargers: cell phone,
camera, PDA
3 2.00 5 30.00 15
459.00 167
DC Loads
Inverter 1 24.00 5 120.00
Shurflo submersible pump 1 1.50 72 108.00
Pump house fluorescent light 1 0.05 1 0.05
228.05
687.05
Gray System Loads
Total AC
Total DC
Grand Total
17
www.homepower.com
off-grid getaway
about 150 feet (46 m) away. I already
owned a 250 watt Exeltech sine wave
inverter, and decided to adapt my
system to it. Since the inverter I had
requires 12 volts and my battery bank
is wired for 24 volts, I had to install a
DC-to-DC converter to make the
design work. This setup is not ideal,
since the converter adds another 5
percent efficiency loss to the system. I
ran the AC wires to the casita in an
underground conduit. I planned this
long ago, and the casita was already
wired for AC and ready for an
electricity source.
A 250 watt inverter is not much,
but I dont need much. I have more
than enough AC electricity to run
three fluorescent lights, my laptop, a
radio, and battery chargers for my cell
phone, digital camera, PDA, and
cordless tools. If I run all these devices
at the same time, I am still well under
250 watts.
The water pump and the casita use
more electricity than the two Siemens
modules can produce on an average
day. Thats not a problem, since I only
spend one week per month at the casita.
When I leave at the end of the week, my
batteries are drawn down perhaps as
much as 50 percent. They then have
three full weeks to recover before my
next trip. When I build a permanent
home here, however, this PV system
will be dedicated to supplying
electricity to the pump.
Photovoltaics:
Two Siemens SM55, 55 W
each; wired for 110 W total
at 24 VDC
Inverter: Exeltech XP 250,
250 W, 12 VDC input,
120 VAC sine wave output
Pressure
Switch
Battery:
Four Interstate U2200 Workaholic, flooded
lead-acid, 220 AH each at 6 VDC, wired for
220 AH total at 24 VDC
Submersible Pump:
Shurflo 9300, 24 VDC
Charge
Controller:
Xantrex
C40, 40 A,
PWM
Fused, Lockable
Disconnect:
Two 30 A fuses
25.9
Link 10
E F
Ah A V t
SEL SET
Fuses:
2 A
Amp-hour
Meter:
Xantrex
Link 10
Earth
Ground
Fuse:
7.5 A
Fuse:
30 A
Switch
12 VDC Light:
18 W, internally fused
H
N
G
Note: All numbers are rated, manufacturers specifications, or nominal unless otherwise specified.
DC to DC
Converter:
Solar Converters
EQ 12/24-20
120 VAC to
Household
Loads
Earth Ground
Bonded at
Well Casing
More Solar Applications
I dont have, or want, access to
unlimited electricity from a utility
grid. My casita in Abiquiu has given
me the opportunity to experiment
with several solar applications other
than passive heating and
photovoltaics. I heat water for
washing and showering in a portable
5 gallon (19 l) plastic solar water
heater, available for about US$10
The control panel after installation
in the pump house. All switches and
controls are mounted at eye level.
The National Electrical Code requires a
safety placard attached to battery boxes.
18
home power 100 / april & may 2004
off-grid getaway
from various suppliers. It takes three hours of direct
sunlight to produce hot water. A future project will be to
add a more permanent and larger batch solar water heater
that will supply pressurized hot water.
I heat water for tea and coffee in a device called a solar
thermos. It consists of a black thermos bottle with parabolic
reflectors on either side to concentrate sunlight on the
thermos. Twelve ounces (59 ml) of cold water and thirty
minutes of New Mexico sunlight yield boiling water for hot
beverages or cereal.
Small rechargeable batteries such as size AA and AAA
can be easily charged in inexpensive solar chargers. I have
two of these chargers and use them continuously when I am
at the casita. I also use a solar powered flashlight. For
entertainment, I watch DVDs on my solar powered laptop
or listen to a solar powered radio. For my occasional trips to
the nearby store in Abiquiu, I can use my electric ZAP
bicycle and charge its battery from my PV system.
My favorite solar device is my Sun Oven. I do almost
all my cooking using only direct sunlight as an energy
source. I have successfully cooked beans, rice, biscuits,
bread, cookies, stew, and soup in the Sun Oven. Although
its difficult to prove, food seems to taste better cooked this
way. The Sun Oven quickly produces temperatures of over
350F (177C).
Self-Sufficient Comfort
All in all, my solar-adobe casita is a self-sufficient system
requiring no purchased energy. It is comfortable inside even
on the coldest of winter days. The sun provides all my needs
for electricity, pressurized water, cooking, space heating,
water heating, entertainment, transportation, and battery
charging during my visits to Abiquiu. For the seven days
per month that I spend at the casita, I am quite happy just
taking what the sky gives me.
Access
Samuel Gray, Ph.D., College of Business Administration
and Economics, New Mexico State University, PO Box
30001, Las Cruces, NM 88003 505-646-2470
Fax: 505-642-1372 samgray@nmsu.edu
eBay www.ebay.com PVs, inverter, and Link 10 meter
Gaiam Real Goods, 360 Interlocken Blvd., Suite 300,
Broomfield, CO 80021 800-762-7325 or 303-222-3600
Fax: 800-456-1139 or 303-222-3750
customerservice@realgoods.com www.realgoods.com
DC-DC converter, 12 V pump house light, Square D safety
disconnects, submersible pump wire
Adobe Discussion Group Subscribe: adobe-
subscribe@yahoogroups.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/adobe
Northern New Mexico Community College Adobe
Program, El Rito, New Mexico, 87530 505-581-4156
Fax: 505-581-4130 qwilson@mail.nnmcc.edu
www.quentinwilson.com Adobe workshop
Mr. Solar, PO Box 1506, Cockeysville, MD 21030
877-226-5073 or 410-308-1599 Fax: 410-561-7813
sales@mrsolar.com www.mrsolar.com PV mount,
charge controller, pump
John C. Wiles, Southwest Technology Development
Institute, New Mexico State University, Box 30,001/MSC 3
SOLAR, Las Cruces, NM 88003 505-646-6105
Fax: 505-646-3841 jwiles@nmsu.edu
www.nmsu.edu/~tdi/pv.htm Grounding consultation
ZAP Electric Vehicles, 501 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, CA95401
707-525-8658 Fax: 707-525-8692 zap@zapworld.com
www.zapworld.com Electric bicycle
Northern Arizona Wind & Sun has an excellent on-line
reference site for solar powered pumping applications at
www.windsun.com/Water/solar_water_pumping.htm
Adobe: Build It Yourself, by Paul Graham McHenry, 1985,
Paperback, 158 pages, ISBN 0-8165-0948-4 US$24.95 from
University of Arizona Press, 355 S. Euclid Ave., Suite 103,
Tucson, AZ 85719 800-426-3797 or 520-621-1441
Fax: 520-621-8899 uap@uapress.arizona.edu
www.uapress.arizona.edu Classic book on adobe
construction
Gray System Costs
PV System Cost (US$)
2 Siemens SM55 PV Panels $480
Misc. wiring, conduit, battery box 325
4 Interstate U2200 batteries 270
SCI EQ 12/24-20 DCDC converter 165
Exeltech XP 250 inverter 160
Link 10 digital meter 145
Xantrex C40 controller 128
UniRac top-of-pole PV mount 109
2 Safety disconnects with fuses 85
Pump house light, 12 V 35
Total PV $1,902
Well
Contractor for well & pump house $3,770
Pressure tank, 80 gallon 530
Shurflo submersible pump 520
Misc. wiring & plumbing 290
Total Well $5,110
Grand Total $7,012
22
home power 100 / april & may 2004
e get more sunshine here in
northern Texas than anyone
may want. Wind often blows
steadily for days and can sometimes get
fierce. Wind speeds can go from 30 to 70
mph (13 to 31 m/s) within seconds.
Twenty miles down the road, a truck
loaded with scrapped cars was blown
over and off Highway 75 last year by a
severe gust!
Wind comes predominantly from the south in spring,
summer, and fall, and from the north during the short winters.
According to the maps, Grayson County lies within Wind
Class 2 and borders on Class 3. A10.8 mph (4.8 m/s) average
wind speed makes it a decent area for a small wind generator.
So why doesnt anybody make use of wind and sun
here? The answers are cheap oil, cheap electricity, ignorance,
and negligence. Some efforts had been made, but none of
the five small wind generators Ive seen in our local area in
the last few decades are still in operating condition.
Our grid-tied wind-electric system is just one part of a
larger project. Our goal is to reduce and offset the energy
consumption of our all-electric suburban home, so that we will
generate our own electricity during nine months of the year.
We have already reduced our consumption by a quarter
through more efficient appliances and inexpensive minor
remodeling. Weve done things like scrapping attic fans and
inserting ridge vents instead, and replacing the tank water
heater with an electric demand water heater. When the heat
pump approaches the end of its life cycle, it will be replaced
with a modern one that can heat and cool almost twice as
efficiently. We also plan to add a solar water heater soon; the
demand water heater will then just be used as a booster. When
all these changes are made, a modest hybrid wind and solar-
electric system should suffice to provide most of our electricity.
Wind Generator
Lots of valuable information about the African
Windpower (AWP) 3.6 (and other small wind generators)
can be found in Home Powers Apples & Oranges article by
W
Simple Wind
Grid-Tie
Bernd Geisler
2004 Bernd Geisler
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At Last...
Mick Sagrillo in HP90. At first I was skeptical about this
machine, because according to the data, it seemed to
generate little energy for its comparatively large rotor size of
3.6 meters diameter (11.8 feet). But I valued Micks
recommendation, and read about independent monitoring
by Mike Klemen on the AWEA e-mail list server (see
Access). This seemed to support Micks impression that the
numbers for the AWP 3.6 are realistic, maybe even a bit
pessimistic, whereas some competitors use optimistic
estimates.
The AWP 3.6 is available with a special, grid-tie voltage
controller that shows its operation status with an LED
traffic light. The controller not only rectifies the generated
wild AC into DC that the inverter can digest, but also
protects the inverter by diverting surplus energy to an
industrial-grade load resistor in the event of a utility outage.
The Windy Boy 1800U inverter accepts a maximum input
voltage of 400 VDC. When the DC input voltage reaches
levels around 350 volts (yellow LED lit), a PWM circuit
diverts some energy to the dump load to control voltage. A
second stage, backup circuit comes into play if voltages
exceed 390 volts. This crowbar (latching) circuit activates
and connects the wind generator directly to the load resistor
(red LED lit).
Although that load resistor is optional, some type of
emergency load is necessary, since the generator can
produce voltages high enough to damage the Windy Boy if
allowed to run unloaded. Under normal operating
conditions, almost all electricity is fed into the grid (green
LED lit). So the load resistor has strictly a protective
functionmore about that later. The controllers circuit
board is mounted on its own massive heat sink; the case
itself is used for cooling and does not need ventilation
openings. The board can be flipped
over for easier wiring. Many
knockouts on all four sides give
flexibility when space is limited, as in
my case.
The turbines control box has
two switches. The brake switch
activates the electric brake by
shorting the three alternator phases.
High currents induced in the
alternator will then slow down the
rotor and only allow it to spin very
slowly. But beware. The brake will
likely not stop the rotor in high
winds. It is rather intended to
prevent a stopped turbine from
starting up, says the manual. The
wind generator is designed to
protect itself in high winds through
its gravity furling mechanismjust
leave it alone.
Stopping the turbine seems to
work better when the crowbar
switch is on. That switch hardwires
the turbine to the resistance load. It
23
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wind hybrid grid-tied
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The Geislers RE-powered home, AWP 3.6 wind generator,
and recently added PV system.
Wind System
Tech Specs
System Overview
System type: Grid-tied, batteryless wind
Location: Denison, Texas
Wind resource: 10.8 mph (4.8 m/s) annual average
at 30 feet
Production: 210 AC KWH per month average
(projected)
Percentage of utility electricity offset: 33 percent
average (5 percent in summer, 75 percent in
spring)
Wind Turbine
Turbine: African Wind Power AWP 3.6, 110 V
Rotor diameter: 3.6 m (11.8 feet)
Average rated KWH per month for battery
charging turbine: 210 at 12 mph (5.4 m/s)
Peak KW output and wind speed (grid-tied): 1,580 W
at 25 mph (11 m/s)
Wind turbine controller: AWP, Clamp 1
Tower: 79 foot (24 m) Rohn, guyed lattice
Balance of System
Inverter: SMA Windy Boy 1800U, maximum 400
VDC input, 120 VAC nominal output
System performance metering: AC KWH meter and
integrated inverter LCD display
A solar-electric system was started before but finished
after the AWP/Windy Boy system. I ordered an SMA 700
watt batteryless inverter in March 2003, and mounted
my PVs in anticipation. Working on the roof can get
uncomfortably hot later in the spring. I finally received
the inverterwhich had been announced for Junein
mid-December. This new addition to the Sunny Boy line
is currently in full production and ready to ship. So the
solar-electric portion of the system is complete at last
and is extremely simple. The total cost of the PV system
was about US$6,000.
Eight Siemens SM110 modules were wired in series
using the modules weathertight MC connectors. The
DC wire run between the PVs and the inverter is 50
feet (15 m) long, and uses #10 (5 mm
2
) CU wire. The
resulting power losses are negligible because this is
a high-voltage array. I chose the Sunny Boy 700U
because it is user-configurable for three array voltage
ranges or DC power inputs. One advantage of this is
that it allows a given system to start small and add
modules as finances allow. In my case, the Sunny
Boy 700U was the best matched inverter for my
arrays 880 watt peak power rating under standard
conditions.
Another consideration was the window in which the
inverter can perform maximum power point tracking
(MPPT). The SB700U tracks PV voltage from 125 volts
minimum to 250 volts maximum in the configuration I
chose. The inverter can accept 1,000 watts of DC input
power in this configuration.
Adding PV
24
home power 100 / april & may 2004
wind hybrid grid-tied
also serves as a reset if the crowbar circuit has been activated
(red LED lit). An accidentally opened DC disconnect switch
could let the turbine run unloaded, so instead of installing a
DC disconnect switch for the inverter, I just switch
crowbar and brake on. That should short the phases of
the turbine and channel all electricity to the resistance load,
which will normally stop it.
Inverter
SMAs Sunny Boy line of photovoltaic inverters has an
excellent reputation for reliability as well as efficiency. They
have won several test comparisons both in the U.S. and
abroad. The Windy Boy inverter used by AWP is in fact a
reprogrammed Sunny Boy 1800U. The software
modification affects the maximum power point tracking
(MPPT) algorithm. It causes the AC output power to be
proportional to the DC input voltage. The MPPT algorithm
lets the alternator work more efficiently than when charging
batteries, because the load gets better adapted to the
alternators power curve. Net output increases
appreciablythe AWP distributor claims a 50 percent
overall gain compared to running the turbine in a battery
charging system.
The physical structure of the inverter remains unaltered.
With its UL 1741 listing, the inverter is regarded as
precertified by our utility. It basically means that there is no
special certification fee of US$200 to pay. Great! The inverter
comes with an LCD display that updates vital information
every five seconds, among them instantaneous power
output, accumulated energy output, input voltage, and
error messages. It also has three status LEDs.
Documentation is extensive.
Electrical Setup
I started with the electrical installation. Besides the
components mentioned above, utilities usually require a
lockable disconnect switch. All generating sources must be
able to be disconnected from the grid with one single switch
that can be accessed outside the house and locked in the
off position. I am not sure whether such a switch has ever
been used by any lineworker.
Drilling holes through brick walls is no fun, so I looked
for a more elegant way. Although my idea is probably not
new, pulling a four-conductor cable through the conduit
between the main breaker panel and the utility meter on
the outside wall was a fast and clean solution. The conduit
in my house could easily accept another cable besides the
two hot phases and the ground. With the cable now ending
in the main breaker box and the meter box, respectively, I
just connected the switch with a short piece of conduit to
the meter box and pulled the cable through. Since the wind
generator and solar-electric array needed to be switched
off simultaneously, I employed a two-pole, 30 amp
disconnect switch.
Inverter Output & Input
Inside the main breaker panel, I connected the wire
from the disconnect to the dedicated breaker for the
Windy Boy. The wire to the disconnect was fed into the
inverter as L (Line). The inverter also needed one
connection to N (Neutral) and one connection to PE
(Protective Earth, or ground) on the AC output side. The
15 amp circuit breaker serves as the inside AC disconnect
switch for the inverter, and there is also the utility
disconnect outside.
The AWP control box was easily connected between the
wind generator and inverter. Eight obvious connections had
to be made, three to the 3-phase alternator, two to the load
resistor, two to the inverter DC input, and one to ground. I
crimped and soldered all electrical connections because I
think the additional time spent for good connections may
protect against future trouble.
25
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wind hybrid grid-tied
Lightning Protection & Wire Run
With a properly grounded and protected tower
bonded, 10 foot (3 m) ground rods at the base and guy
anchors, and a lightning arrestorthe greatest danger to
electronic devices comes from surges within the grid. So I
connected one Delta LA603R across the three alternator
phases in the control box, one Delta LA302R lightning
arrestor and one Delta CA302 surge capacitor across the two
grid phases in the main breaker panel, and one additional
Delta LA302DC lightning arrestor for the PV panels.
For the 320 foot (98 m) wire run from the control box to
the tower and up to the wind turbine, I used #6 (13 mm
2
)
direct burial cable with three conductors and ground.
Near the junction box at the tower base and at the house
entrance, the cable is run for about 12 feet (3.6 m) in 1 inch
flexible conduit. A table with recommended wire sizes for
different run lengths is part of the owners manual for the
AWP 3.6. House and tower ground rods are electrically
connected.
No Slip Rings
The AWP 3.6 has no slip ring assembly, the component in
most small wind generators that transfers the electricity
from the rotating wind generator head to transmission
cables going down the fixed tower. Instead, the AWP allows
the transmission wires to twist up if the turbine yaws more
in one direction than another. (Future versions may have
slip rings, due to popular demand.)
Although this seems primitive, it may actually be a long-
term reliability advantage. Several experts confirm that slip
rings and brushes are a problem zone. Looking at my
previous wind turbine, I realized that after 15 years of
exposure to the elements, the plastic had become so brittle
that the brush holders were literally crumbling apart. So I
am inclined to believe that in the long run, three solid metal
lugs may be a better investment than a set of cheap slip
rings. Time will tell.
As the wind turbine yaws, it will twist its wires. The
heavy 3/6 cable that runs up the guyed lattice tower is very
stiff and cannot be twisted easily, so I used three, more
flexible #8 (8 mm
2
) wires that connect to the turbine through
the tower top adaptor. I plan to untwist the wires when I do
my twice-a-year maintenance.
Mechanical Setup
While bolting the wind generator together, I could not
fail to see that its designer Hugh Piggott knew what he was
doing. Although the design looks rough, almost crude at
first sight, a second look reveals that it is ingeniously
simple, using very few parts, which can all be produced
with simple tools. I bet any person with a bit of technical
talent will be able to assemble this machine without even
Made in Zimbabwe
Photovoltaics: Eight Shell SM110, 110 W each; wired for 880 W total at 96 VDC
Note: All numbers are rated, manufacturers specifications, or nominal unless otherwise specified.
Inverter:
SMA Sunny Boy 700U,
700 W, 250 VDC maximum
input, 120 VAC output, MPPT,
utility interactive
H
1
H
2
H
3
G
Inverter:
SMA Windy Boy 1800U,
1,800 W, 400 VDC maximum
input, 120 VAC output, MPPT,
utility interactive
Earth Ground
To Utility
Grid:
220 VAC
KWH
Meter
Utilitys
Lockable
Disconnect
Diversion Load:
Industrial heating
element
Wind Controller:
Abundant
Renewable
Energy,
Clamp 1
Lightning
Arrestor:
LA603R
G
H
N
Earth Ground
Wind Generator:
African Wind Power
AWP 3.6, 110 V,
1,580 W at 25 mph
(11 m/s)
Lightning Arrestor:
LA302DC
G
H
N
DC
Disconnect
Earth
Ground
AC Mains Panel:
120 VAC to house loads,
15 A breakers to inverters,
Delta LA302R lightning
arrestor and Delta CA302
surge capacitor
installed (not shown)
26
home power 100 / april & may 2004
wind hybrid grid-tied
looking at the manualthe parts let you know how to
mount them. (Just remember that the curved sides of the
blades face the tail.)
I had my 72 foot (22 m) guyed lattice tower already in
place from a previous wind generator that broke down. I
used the gin pole with three pulleys for pulling up the
tower adaptor. My adaptor was welded at the local
machine shop for US$219, with another US$102 for hot-dip
galvanizing. After bolting on the tower adaptor, I set the
gin pole higher and bolted it onto the adaptor with
1
/2 inch
(13 mm) U-bolts. That gave me the necessary height to lift
the wind turbine.
I used my truck for pulling on 270 feet (82 m) of
3
/16 inch
(5 mm) aircraft cable. The way that I arranged the pulleys
reduced the required force to half while it increased the
cable travel by a factor of two. That allowed for quick and
precise lifting with just three peopleone in the truck, one
at the tag line (rope to control swing), and one giving
signals. Nobody needed to be on or even near the tower
during lifting. If you try such an operation yourself, make
sure you use industrial grade pulleys and cable or rope that
exactly matches the roller size. My cable was too thin,
jumped off the roller when the turbine reached the very top
and jammed between the roller and its frame. We still got it
bolted on, but had to fight much more than necessary. Hub
height is at 79 feet (24 m).
Most people will use a different type of tower, anyway,
so I listed costs for an 85 foot (26 m) tilt-up tower in the
table. Tower kits for the AWP 3.6 are available from the
American distributor, Abundant Renewable Energy, and
come in heights ranging from 43 to 127 feet (1339 m). You
will need at least 5 cubic yards of concrete for the guy
anchors and base.
Utility Issues
Dealing with the utilities has become easier since
transmission companies were separated from the generators
of electricity. In my case, the local grid is maintained by
Oncor, whereas I can buy my electricity from TXU or
another provider. The transmission company had no reason
to put obstacles in my way because I am not going to hurt
their business. They get their money either way. In fact, they
employ special consultants for distributed generation who
handle cases like mine. These people would lose their jobs if
distributed generators did not exist. So our relationship has
been quite friendly.
The interconnection process consisted of two relatively
short documentsan application for distributed generation
and the agreement for interconnection. The application was
a two-page document and lists my address; technical
information about the inverters, like voltage and current
ratings, power factor, and UL file number; and a one-line
diagram of the installation. The one-line diagram is a simple
system schematic where all elements in the generation chain
from the wind generator to the utility transformer are each
symbolized and connected with a single line.
The agreement for interconnection apparently applies to
all kinds of generators (one size fits all...) and therefore was
more elaborate than necessary for my small turbine. I
regarded the agreement as fair because the company and I
both had to agree to the same terms regarding liability,
indemnification, etc.
Helpful advice can be found in Paul Gipes book, Wind
Power for Home and Business. Do not expect any special
treatment from the utility. You will either accept their terms
and conditions or stay out. At least they must acknowledge
your right to interconnection (PURPA). I was offered three
different options: a) annual net metering with a single meter,
but no payment for excess, b) payment for net production
with two ratcheted meters for net production and net
consumption, or c) payment for all production, metering all
consumption and all production.
Since I will probably never generate more electricity
than I use, I accepted the first option. This was the least
bureaucratic and work intensive. I did not argue with the
800 pound gorilla that they did not have any legal right to
dictate those options unilaterally. But with an annual
instead of a monthly billing period, even a short-term
overproduction will be fully paid for.
Operation
The AWP 3.6 operates very quietly, getting about as loud
as when you hold a sea shell up to your ear. It will start up
as soon as leaves in the trees are moving. Just dont expect
more than a few watts output thenthere is little energy in
these winds. It is still pretty to watch, though. So far I have
observed a maximum of 1,580 watts instantaneous output at
Balance of systems equipment(clockwise from top right)
Sunny Boy 700U inverter, Windy Boy 1800U inverter,
Abundant Renewable Energy wind controller, diversion load,
and AC mains panel.
27
www.homepower.com
wind hybrid grid-tied
the inverter. Considering inverter efficiency of 93 percent
and 2 percent transmission losses, this indicates a peak
output of more than 1,700 watts, and easily confirms the
turbine manufacturers output claims for batteryless, grid-
tie systems.
The turbine generated a record output of 15 KWH during
one day and night with steady high winds around 25 mph (11
m/s), which approaches the range that can be reasonably
expected, according to the power curves. I have routinely
observed energy outputs of 10 KWH per day in winter for
five consecutive days. My AWP 3.6 keeps generating between
800 watts and 1,000 watts even while furling all the way. I like
that because it would be disappointing to see it shut down
exactly when the resource is best.
One time after we installed it, my turbine operated through
a thunderstorm with
3
/4 inch (19 mm) hailstones. Although I
feared the worst, I found no damage except two tiny paint
chips on the leading edges of two of the blades. Those blades
are very strong for their weight. The utility grid also broke
down for a few seconds, and the inverter accordingly
disconnected. During that time, the DC voltage rose to 390
volts, but the energy was safely transferred to the dump load.
When the grid stabilized, the system reactivated itself.
Efficient & Hypnotic
The grid-intertied AWP 3.6 does not provide emergency
electricity, but generates about 50 percent more than the
battery charging version, while using less space in the
power room and saving battery maintenance and costs. The
complete system impressed me with its sturdiness and
quality, except for the paint job on the alternator. It is
straightforward to install, and requires no active human
intervention.
The quietly and slowly turning wind generator looks
and feels more like a natural addition to our residence than
like a high-tech artifact. Just watching it carries its own
reward for meits like staring into a fire. Amazing...
Access
Dr. Bernd Geisler, 776 Lakewood Rd., Denison, TX 75020
903-327-4262 texregeninfo@aol.com www.texregen.com
Robert Preus, Abundant Renewable Energy, 22700 NE
Mountain Top Rd., Newberg, OR 97132 503-538-8298
Fax: 503-538-8782 robert@abundantre.com
www.abundantre.com U.S. distributor for AWP
Apples & Oranges, by Mick Sagrillo in HP90 Excellent
overview and comparison of wind generators
Small Wind Electric SystemsAU.S. Consumers Guide
www.eren.doe.gov
Wind Power for Home and Business , Paul Gipe, 1993,
Paperback, 432 pages, ISBN 0-930031-64-4, US$35 from
Chelsea Green Publishing Company, PO Box 428, White
River Junction, VT 05001 800-639-4099 or 802-295-6300
Fax: 802-295-6444 info@chelseagreen.com
www.chelseagreen.com Atruly valuable book about
small wind systems
American Wind Energy Associations discussion group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/awea-wind-home The
best resource if you have technical questions or problems
Jim Waldon, Windmill Photography, 524 Trout Ln.,
Denison, TX 75020 903-465-0317
www.windmillphoto.com Article photos
Geisler Wind Costs
Wind Turbine & Inverter
Cost (US$)
Windy Boy 1800U SBD inverter $2,260.00
AWP 3.6 turbine, 110 V 2,250.00
Voltage clamp 600.00
Load resistor 240.00
Total Turbine & Inverter $5,350.00
Tower, Hardware, & Tools
AWP tower kit w/ pipe, 85 ft. $3,100.00
3 Cables, #6 direct burial, 320 ft. 252.80
Concrete, 5 cubic yards 247.50
Backhoe work 150.00
Ditch Witch (rented) 125.00
Delta LA603 lightning arrestor 85.64
Delta CA302 R surge capacitor 57.43
Delta LA302 R lightning arrestor 44.95
13 Rebar,
1
/2 in. x 20 ft. 38.35
Fused disconnect 34.95
Junction box 19.94
8 Wire lugs 16.80
Conduit, 1 in., 12 ft. 10.80
4 Conduit connectors,
1
/2 in. 9.78
4 Cables, #8, 4 ft. 4.14
Circuit breaker, 15 A 3.56
Conduit,
1
/2 in., 6 ft. 2.76
2 Conduit connectors, 1 in. 2.39
Total Other $4,206.79
Grand Total $9,556.79
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I n t e r n a t i o n a l
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1000 Watt Home Wind Turbine
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Battery Charging
PowerCenter Controller
1Air is a registered trademark of Southwest Windpower, Inc. 11.2 mph (5 m/s) Average Wind Speed at Hub Height, Rayliegh Distribution.
2Whisper is a registered trademark of Southwest Windpower, Inc. Based on manufacturers published power curves.
The Bergey XL.1 24 VDC battery charging wind system is the most technically
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Highly addictive to techies.) and provides a convenient push button brake
function. In addition, we doubled the dump load capacity (to 60A) and gave
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Compare features, performance, price, reputation, and warranties. We think
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2001 Priestley Ave.
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T: 4053644212
F: 4053642078
SALES@BERGEY.COM
WWW.BERGEY.COM WindPower SIMPLICITYRELIABILITYPERFORMANCE
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2002 Bergey Windpower
Clearing the Air
Home Power Dispels the Top RE Myths
2004 Home Power, Inc.
Illustrations by Harry Martin
Home Powers position in the small-scale renewable energy (RE) community ensures
that we hear it all, every day. Along the way, weve found that theres more than a little
misinformation out there. Many RE myths are so widespread that they represent bona
fide hindrances to the increasing use of these important technologies. This article is
our collective debunking effort, in the interest of clearing the air.
Our solar home has all the conveniences that Karen and I want. Solar energy provides the
electricity to run computers for our work; it pumps our water from the well; it entertains us
with video and audio; it washes our clothes; it reheats our food and drinks in the microwave;
it powers our refrigerators and freezers; it powers our ham radio, telephone, and Internet
communications; it runs our power tools; and it lights up our nights. Solar heat cooks our
food, heats our house, and provides hot water for washing our clothes, dishes, and bodies.
The only convenience we dont have is paying that monthly utility bill.
Richard Perez richard.perez@homepower.com
home power 100 / april & may 2004
32
Myth: Solar living
means sacrificing conveniences.
Myth: Wind turbines
kill birds.
Do wind turbines kill birds? Some do. Is it
significant? No. The question has been studied a
great deal for utility-scale turbines. These massive
turbines kill fewer than two birds per turbine per
year. While no one wants to kill any birds, this
number is dwarfed by the number of birds killed by
habitat destruction, pollution, domestic cats,
electrocution by utility lines, and collisions with
windows, cars, and buildings.
For example, in the United States, agricultural
pesticides are conservatively estimated to kill 67
million birds per year. Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources research suggests that rural free-
ranging domestic cats in Wisconsin kill about 39
million birds each year. The windows in your house
probably kill more birds in a year than the average
wind turbine.
What about home-scale turbines? No studies have
been done on these turbines, and researchers do not
consider the issue significant enough to study.
Compare a utility-scale turbine with a home-scale
turbine. Even ignoring the massive towers, a typical
utility-scale turbine is 50 to 200 times larger than a typical
home turbine in swept area. This in itself is enough to
answer any concerns about birds and a wind turbine at
your home.
Birds must navigate through a wide variety of
obstacles in their flying careers. Wind turbines pose no
special hazards to them, and are in fact easier to notice and
avoid because they move. In my twenty years of living with
wind turbines, Ive seen birds regularly alter their courses to
avoid our turbines. Birds sometimes even perch on our
turbines stopped blades, but they leave as soon as the wind
comes up and the blades start rotating.
Everything humans do has an impact on other people
and on the environment. If youre looking for an energy
33
www.homepower.com
RE myths debunked
source with no impact, good luck. Obviously, wind farms
need to be sited intelligently, not directly in major bird
migration flyways. But before we stop installing wind
turbines because of a few bird kills, we should get rid of
cars, buildings, utility lines, and cats
For more information on wind turbines and birds, see
www.awea.org/faq/sagrillo/swbirds.html
Ian Woofenden ian.woofenden@homepower.com
Myth: Solar panels make electricity from the suns heat.
There are two major types of solar panel technologies.
When it comes to how they work, they couldnt be more
different from each other.
Solar hot water panels, also known as solar thermal
panels or solar collectors capture the suns heat to provide
hot water for domestic use or home heating. These are large,
dark, rectangular panels usually measuring around 4 by 8
feet (1.2 x 2.4 m). They look like very shallow rectangular
boxes, and have been around and in use on residential
rooftops for decades.
The second type of solar panel is the photovoltaic (PV)
panel, also known as a solar-electric panel or module.
These smaller and much lighter-weight panels use the
suns light to make electricity via whats known as the
photovoltaic effect. PV modules perform best in cool
temperatures under bright sunlight. They come in all
different sizes (including some that are cleverly disguised
as roofing materials) and are turning up in a wide variety
of residential, commercial, industrial, and scientific
applications.
So you can get hot water from the suns heat and
electricity from the suns light. If youve got sunshine,
theres nothing keeping you from choosing both!
Scott Russell scott.russell@homepower.com
34
home power 100 / april & may 2004
RE myths debunked
Myth: Burning wood
as fuel is bad.
Plenty of bad things can happen when burning any
carbon-based material. But wood is renewable in the short
term, which makes it one of the best carbon-based fuels
for heating. CO
2
is a problem with burning nearly
anything. In the case of wood, the same amount of carbon
is released by burning as would be released by the natural
decay of a fallen treethere is no net increase in
atmospheric carbon. With fossil fuels, the common
alternative to wood fuel, the carbon is permanently locked
up in the fuel unless burning lets it out, causing an
increase in atmospheric CO
2
, a proven cause of global
warming.
There are negative effects of burning wood, mostly from
particulates that get released. But using an EPA-certified
wood heater will minimize this problem. There is always
some kind of negative impact from creating heat. The goal
of the considerate and responsible energy user should be to
minimize these impacts, helping our world to become as
sustainable as possible. The best way to heat is with the sun.
But if you have to burn something, either make sure it is
renewable, or that it is made with a renewable resource, and
be sure it is done as efficiently as possible. See John
Gullands article on efficient and clean use of wood as a fuel
in HP99.
Michael Welch michael.welch@homepower.com
Myth: It takes more
energy to build PVs than
they can ever produce.
Some skeptics of solar energy claim that it takes more
energy to make a photovoltaic module (PV) than it can ever
produce in its lifetime. The truth is that PVs typically recoup
their embodied energy in two to four years. According to an
article published by the National Renewable Energy
Laboratory (NREL), todays single and multicrystalline
modules have an energy payback of about four years, and
thin-film modules about two years.
Most PV modules in the field are made from hyper-pure
crystalline silicon. Purifying and crystallizing the silicon
consumes the most energy in making these PVs. Thin-film
PVs are made from considerably less semiconductor
material, and therefore have less embodied energy in them.
Most of the energy consumed is in the thin-film surface. The
aluminum frame on any PV accounts for about six months
of its payback time.
Solar energy is an amazing technology considering that
PVs go on to produce clean, pollution-free energy for at least
25 to 30 years after they have achieved payback. For more
information on energy payback, see the National Renewable
Energy Laboratorys Web site (www.nrel.gov) and Karl
Knapp & Theresa Jesters article titled PV Payback in HP80.
Eric Grisen eric.grisen@homepower.com
Myth: Solar-electric module production
is toxic to the environment.
A while back, there was a media barrage claiming that
photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing was extremely hazardous
to the environment. PV manufacturing does require the use
of chemicals that are designated as toxic by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Employee safety is
paramount during the manufacturing process, and
chemicals used must be disposed of in an environmentally
sound manner.
The federally funded National Renewable Energy
Laboratory (NREL) researched the media claims and
concluded, By using well-designed industrial processes
and careful monitoring, PV manufacturers have
minimized risks to where they are far less than those in
most major industries. All of these risks fall well within
the range already protected by OSHA and similar
regulations.
A thorough analysis of the environmental impact that
various energy sources have on the environment must
take into account the net effect of a given source over the
sources operational lifetime. When you compare the
environmental impact of PV technology to traditional
energy sources like coal and nuclear energy, PV comes out
on top, hands down.
Nukes produce nuclear waste, and even after spending
billions of taxpayer and ratepayer dollars, no acceptable
disposal solution has been brought to the table. Fossil-fuel-
based energy sources like coal produce air pollution over
the power plants entire operational lifetimeas long as its
running, its polluting. Burning coal releases sulfur dioxide,
which results in acid rain; nitrogen oxide, which results in
smog; carbon dioxide, which results in global warming;
particulates, which result in lung damage; and an array of
heavy metals like arsenic, lead, and mercury, which result in
birth defects and brain damage.
On the other end of the spectrum, PVs produce no
emissions and require no use of finite fuel sources. PVs
manufactured today are expected to be producing energy 50
years from now. PVs offset all the energy used to manufacture
them (embodied energy) in two to four years in most locations.
Fossil, nuclear, or solarwhich energy source would you want
in your backyard?
Joe Schwartz joe.schwartz@homepower.com
Myth: Microhydro is bad for river life.
The impact of microhydro on fish and other river life is tainted by association with blatantly destructive, large-scale
hydro, which seriously impedes fish movement, changes stream temperatures and flow rates, slices and dices aquatic life,
and even drowns entire ecosystems.
Microhydro does none of these thingsif appropriate precautions are
taken. There is always going to be some negative impact, but that can be said
for nearly every human activityeven walking down a forest trail. Some
misguided folks do not consider the impacts
of what they do, and they give a bad
reputation to those of us doing
similar things in a more caring
and respectful manner.
The idea is to minimize the
impact of microhydro by
following some simple rules.
Always leave enough flow in
the stream bed for aquatic life.
If migratory fish use your
stream, make sure that they and
their fry can swim past your
diversion, and cannot be drawn
into the penstock intake.
Always put the diverted water
back into the same stream bed in
a way that does not cause erosion.
Michael Welch
michael.welch@homepower.com
35
www.homepower.com
RE myths debunked
Myth: Solar electricity is too expensive.
There is a huge public misconception that solar energy is
simply too expensive to bother with. The reality is that, both
on and off-grid, solar energy is cost effective in many
applications.
Right out of the gate, its important to understand that
on-grid, a substantial amount of smoke and mirrors is
going on behind the scenes, making true energy cost
comparisons unfair at best. The historical trend shows
U.S. federal energy subsidies favoring mature energy
sources like coal and nuclear over renewable sources by a
factor of one hundred to one. A report based on U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE) data by the Congressional
Research Service (CRS) states, Because the great bulk of
incentives support mature fossil and nuclear equipment,
the existing subsidy structure markedly distorts the
marketplace for energy in a direction away from
renewables.
The bottom line is that renewable energy appears to be
more expensive than traditional electricity generation
sources, but the reality is that you pay the difference every
year come tax time. If you include the costs of increased
pollution, habitat destruction, health care costs, etc., then
RE looks even better. Fortunately, many individual states
are doing what the feds refuse to do, and are implementing
rebate programs for renewables that serve to even out the
financial playing field a bit. For some great economic
analyses of the cost effectiveness of grid-tied PV, see the
article by Greg Bundros in HP99 and the article by Paul
Symanski in this issue.
Off-grid, people have been realizing the financial
advantages of solar energy for more than a decade. Property
beyond the reach of the utility grid is typically undervalued,
and a great investment. Were not necessarily talking about
living out in the sticks. A good rule of thumb is that a
solar-electric system costs less than a utility line extension of
a quarter mile (0.4 km) or more.
I had the local utility provide me with an estimate for
running a line to my off-grid home site (though I was
never going to take them up on it!). They came up with a
cost figure of US$32,000. I used this estimate as leverage
when I purchased the property, which substantially
lowered the sellers asking price. From day one,
renewable energy technology saved me over US$10,000
compared to bringing the grid in. Hows that for an
incentive!
Joe Schwartz joe.schwartz@homepower.com
Solar energy can and does work in northern latitudes.
A trip to any well-designed passive solar building can be
one of the most uplifting experiences in the cold winter
months because of the warm, cozy atmosphere it affords.
Every square foot of south-facing insulated glass can let in
the heat equivalent of about a half gallon of heating oil
from the sun each heating season. Cover the glass with
insulating shades or shutters at night, and the heat
equivalent can increase to nearly a gallon for each square
foot of window.
There are too many examples of the successful use of
solar energy in northern latitudes to be included here, but
hundreds of solar home owners in far northern latitudes
have opened their doors in the American Solar Energy
Societys National Solar Tour (www.ases.org). Home Power
magazine has been bringing you articles about successful
solar-electric systems in Canada and the northern United
States for the past seventeen years. Germany, the worlds
second largest user of electricity generated by PV
modules, is not located in the Sunbelt, but rather at 48 to
54 degrees latitude.
Obviously, the largest obstacle to using solar energy in
the north is the short, cloudy days of winter. Annual net
metering of PV systems has really helped overcome this
obstacle for on-grid solar-electric systems by providing a
years energy storage (in terms of dollars and cents from
a billing perspective). The long, sunny days of summer can
directly compensate for the shorter days of winter in
northern latitudes.
Something interesting to think about is that the peak
electrical loads in many northern cities, such as my home of
Burlington, Vermont, have shifted from the winter months
to the summer months over the past ten years. This shows
that there is ever increasing potential of solar electricity in
northern latitudes to complement the passive solar and
solar thermal systems that have been working for the past
twenty or more years up north.
AJ Rossman aj@drakersolar.com
Myth:
You cant use
solar energy in
far northern latitudes.
Myth: Lead-acid batteries wind up
as toxic disasters in our landfills.
Hardly any other industry does a better job at recycling
than the lead-acid battery industry, and this includes
aluminum, glass, paper, and plastics. More than 90 percent of
spent battery lead is recycled, which is two to four times
higher than many other major recyclable commodities. And 60
percent of the lead used in manufacturing lead-acid batteries
is derived from recycled lead. Most of the lead used in your
cars battery has probably ridden around in three or four other
cars before it got to yours.
Worn out lead-acid batteries are accepted for recycling
by all outlets that sell these batteriesits the law. From
there the batteries are broken open, and the lead is
removed and resmelted for reuse in new batteries. The
only way a lead-acid battery winds up in a landfill is if a
careless user dumps it there. So dont break the recycling
chainreturn your spent batteries to a dealer for
recycling!
Richard Perez richard.perez@homepower.com
36
home power 100 / april & may 2004
RE myths debunked
37
www.homepower.com
RE myths debunked
Myth: Grid-intertied PV
is hazardous to utility
lineworkers.
Although this may be one of the most pervasive myths
in the electricity industry, I was unable to locate a single
documented instance of injury or death to a utility worker
from a grid-intertied inverter. The reasons for this are two-
foldmodern inverter design and lineworker safety
protocol.
Inverters are perhaps the most highly scrutinized piece
of electronics used in residential applications. Their safety
and proper functioning are certified by some of the same
agencies that verify the safe operation of all the other
appliances in your home.
Inverters for use in grid-intertied systems are required
(by IEEE, the NEC, and UL) to disconnect from the grid for
any number of conditions. These include grid outage, high
or low voltage, high or low frequency, and inverter
malfunction.
Inverters are required to have several redundant safety
devices built into their electronics to ensure that they
disconnect from the grid if anything at all is wrong.
Nonetheless, utility companies and lineworkers are quite
safety conscious, and leave nothing to chance.
Lineworkers are trained to always ground any
potentially energized conductors when performing utility
line maintenance. In addition, grid-intertied systems are
routinely required to have a safety disconnect available
for the lineworkers use to lock out any solar electricity
generation from being backfed onto the grid.
Lineworker safety protocols make a great deal of
sense. During utility outages, many people use engine
generators to keep the electricity on in their homes and
businesses. Most engine generators do not have the
intricate electronics that inverters have to ensure
lineworker safety. If they are not correctly hooked up with
a transfer switch to isolate selected circuits in the home
from the utility grid, the generator can backfeed electricity
to the grid through the utilitys transformer, which
converts it to extremely high voltage.
Lineworkers have been killed by engine generators, so
its a good thing they practice safety rigorously. In fact, the
problems with engine generators are the reason utilities
have been so cautious about allowing any other customer-
owned generating sources on their lines at all.
Since inverters have such a strong safety record, some
day soon they will be a common and accepted part of
many home electrical systems. They will outlast the urban
myths of lineworker lore. For a more thorough discussion
of utility-intertie inverters and how they work, see HP71,
page 58.
Linda Pinkham
linda.pinkham@homepower.com
Myth: All solar heating
systems need a backup
fossil fuel energy source.
While it is true that most solar heating systems have a
conventional backup heating system, it isnt absolutely
necessary. Fossil fuel heat as a supplemental system is a cost,
financing, and comfort decision. Many solar energy heating
systems rely on the renewable resource of wood for any heat
not supplied directly by the sun.
A combination of passive and active solar energy
collection is probably the easiest and most cost effective way
to avoid a conventional backup system. A super-insulated
passive home design in a sun-friendly climate can provide
all but a small fraction of the energy needed to heat a home.
An active solar heating system typically stores heat in a
large storage tank (many people use an indoor pool) for the
times that the passive system is unable to collect enough
energy, or a severe storm calls for more heat than normal. A
PV system provides the required electricity. This type of
design is not the norm by farits just a little too expensive
up front for most peopleand it might require the owners
to put on a sweater indoors a few times a year.
The expense of going 100 percent solar and the
possibility that the home might fall to 60F (16C) or so in
rare circumstances are the reasons that most solar homes
have a conventional backup. Another factor that looms large
for many people is that mortgage bankers are very nervous
about lending money on homes that fall out of the
conformity they are familiar with.
Chuck Marken chuck@aaasolar.com
Myth: Hydrogen fuel cells
are a renewable energy
source.
Hydrogen fuel cells produce DC electricity from
hydrogen. They do this cleanly and quietly. But where does
the hydrogen come from? Though hydrogen is the most
common element on earth, unlike sun, wind, and falling
water, it is not freely available. It must be stripped out of
hydrocarbons or split out of water. These operations take
energy, and the actual energy source may not be renewable
at all.
Hydrogen can be thought of as an energy carrier. We
use some energy to get it out of hydrocarbons or water, and
then we get the energy back when we run the hydrogen
through a fuel cell or engine. Every conversion of energy has
an efficiency cost and an equipment and maintenance cost.
If hydrogen fuel cells have a place in renewable energy
systems, they must be a step forward in terms of cost,
38
home power 100 / april & may 2004
RE myths debunked
efficiency, and environmental friendliness. The jury is still
out on this issue.
In renewable electrical systems, hydrogen fuel cells
might replace two different components that we use
todaygenerators and batteries. Many people use
gasoline, diesel, or propane-fired generators as charging or
backup sources in off-grid or on-grid RE systems. Fuel cells
could be a quieter, cleaner answer, even if they use
nonrenewable fuels.
To replace batteries in RE systems, you need two other
components besides the fuel cell. First, an electrolyzer is
needed to split hydrogen out of water, using your surplus
renewable energy. Then you need a hydrogen storage
systemnot a simple proposition.
Any new technology takes time and money to develop.
Hydrogen fuel cells may play a role in RE systems in the
future. But the energy sources that power them should be
the sun, wind, falling water, and the like. Otherwise we are
just pinning our hopes on more nonrenewable energy, with
a high-tech twist.
Ian Woofenden ian.woofenden@homepower.com
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42
home power 100 / april & may 2004
It is now apparent that the space shuttle Columbia was
in trouble long before it broke up over Texas last February.
Within hours of the tragedy, disturbing photos taken by
California astronomers were posted to the Internet. In these
images, the streaking shuttle shone like a torch. Off to the
side were smaller bright spots, fluttering down and away.
These, NASA believes, were omens of disaster, heat shield
tiles shedding from the left wing. As superheated plasma
fed into the breach, it melted the wings aluminum skeleton,
dooming the reentry. When the first tiles came off, the
astronauts were traveling 15,000 miles an hour. Six minutes
later, and 1,500 miles to the east, their ship disintegrated
over Texas.
From time to time, I lecture about energy issues, and
before this accident, I had often compared our industrial
civilization to a space shuttle, the worlds most
sophisticated flying machine. The shuttle, like the
civilization, has an enormous energy appetite. During
launch, each of its six fuel pumps consumes as much energy
as a city of 50,000. At full thrust, its main engines could
power California.
As a child of the space age, I remember watching John
Glenns first orbital mission in 1962. It was a quick trip
three laps at 17,544 miles an hour. In a few hours aloft,
Glenn clocked 80,000 miles. The original astronauts were
revered as a special breed. Lately, though, Ive begun to
wonder if all of us arent, in some curious way, as energy-
rich and speed-drunk as any NASA pilot. John Glenn and
John Doe have more in common than they suspect.
Hypermobility
A typical baby boomer, for example, will drive and fly
more than a million miles during his or her lifetime, equal to
forty trips around the planet. Magellan and Amelia Earhart
were the famous circumnavigators of their day. But now
every man is Magellan, every woman Amelia. Even if you
never fly, its still possible to log a million miles. Many
commuters drive 20,000 miles per year, the distance to the
Moon every twelve years. I own a rusty Volvo with 250,000
miles on it. Its been to the Moon, and is on its way back.
Our fantastic hypermobility is taken for granted. This
afternoon you could drive to the nearest airport, book a
flight for Paris, and fly the Atlantic just like Lindbergh did
in 1927. He was greeted by thousands of awestruck
Frenchmen, and like Glenn, would be a hero for life. You?
You can gripe about the airline food or carp about security.
So, how did we get hereto this place where 50 mph
seems slow, where jet lag is an occupational hazard, where
speed rules? If as someone once wrote, Your soul can only
travel at the speed of a camel, there must be millions of
plodding souls out there, searching the barren wastes,
wondering where in the blazes their owners went.
Muscle Power
Our world is so dominated by machines and motors (50
in a typical home) that its easy to forget that most of human
history has been powered by muscle. In his book, Prime
Mover: The Natural History of Muscle, Steven Vogel describes
how muscle makes up 40 percent of our weight, that nature
Randy Udall
2004 Randy Udall
perfected muscle a billion years ago, that muscle powers ant
and elephant alike, that flies fly with it, clams clam up with
it. To watch bicyclist Lance Armstrong hammer up the
French Alps is to see muscle returned to its former glory.
As every backpacker quickly learns, a muscle-powered
world has a different rhythm, a slower tempo. Writing about
the Lewis and Clark expedition, author Stephen Ambrose
explained, In 1800, nothing moved faster than the
speed of a horse. No human being, no manufactured
item, no bushel of wheat, side of beef, no letter, no
information, no idea, order, or instruction
moved faster. Nothing ever had moved any
faster and, most people thought, nothing
ever would.
By canoe and horseback, it took Lewis
and Clark two-and-a-half years to travel
from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean and
back. Paddling downstream on the
swollen Missouri, they may have
broached 8 miles an hour, but that was
their speed limit. To go faster than this,
you need a machine of some sort. On flat
ground, Armstrong can pedal his bike
about 30 miles an hour, generating about
one-half horsepower for short periods.
If men or women work in unison, its
possible to develop more power, and
Cleopatra offers a nice example. Her idea of a
good time was to have 60 slaves row her along
the Nile. Tugging on the oars, with some
encouragement from the lash, this crew could
produce about eight or ten horsepower. Put differently, the
queen of Egypt, the worlds richest woman, had about 200
times less power at her disposal than a typical soccer mom
in an SUV.
Energy Rich
Unlike muscle, aka meat, the ancient edible engine,
machinery is quite new. Go outside and pop the hood of
your car. There in your driveway sits an engine more
powerful than anything on the planet two hundred years
ago. Your neighbor has one, too. From an energy
perspective, both of you are astoundingly rich.
Cars have not been good for civic life, climate protection,
or land use planning. But the engines manufactured by car
companies each year are more powerful than all the worlds
electric power plants combined. American automobiles
consume about four times more energy each day, in the form
of gasoline and diesel, than we humans do in the form of
food. They, not we, are the planets dominant life form.
Photovoltaic panels and wind turbines and sailboats run
on flows of energy. But machines must be stoked with fuels.
Wood, of course, is the original. Towards the end of their
empire, the Romans had built an entire fleet of ships to
import wood from France and North Africa.
Whenever wood ran short, and wherever geology
permitted, people burned coal. In her book Coal: A Human
History, Barbara Freese describes how some Chinese miners
used to work what they called the big shift, living in the
mine for a month at a time, digging, eating, sleeping,
smoking opium, and even doing laundry underground.
Coal has long kept people warm, and still does in many
places, but it took a genius to turn coal into motion and thus
spark the Industrial Revolution. His name is found on every
light bulb and solar panelJames Watt, the famed Scottish
inventor of the steam engine. From coal came steam
and iron, and the three quickly learned how to
feed on each other.
The poet Emerson was among the first to
grasp the implications. Coal is a portable
climate, he wrote. Watt whispered in the
ear of mankind his secret, that a half-ounce
of coal will draw two tons a mile, and coal
carries coal, by rail and by boat, to make
Canada as warm as Calcutta, and with its
comfort brings industrial power. Today,
coal seems like a retro fuel, but more than
half of U.S. electricity comes from
burning it, and the Chinese have more
coal miners than soldiers.
If coal and steam feed on each other,
so too do energy and ingenuity. In 1903,
the Wright Brothers, bachelor bicycle
mechanics, deciphered the rules of flight
and built the pieces of the worlds first
airplane, lashing them together with muslin
cord. Wilbur Wright, in particular, was brilliant, a
total genius. Their plane was powered with gasoline
donated by John D. Rockefeller and a four-cylinder, 12-
horsepower engine that the Wrights built above their bike
shop. When Wilbur flew around the Statute of Liberty in 1905,
he lashed a canoe below the wing in case of a water landing.
Sixty-six years later, Americans were driving on the moon.
The essayist Loren Eiseley wrote, Mans long adventure
with knowledge has been a climb up the heat ladder The
creature that crept furred through the blue glacial nights
now lives surrounded by the hiss of steam, the roar of
engines, and the bubbling of vats. And he is himself a great
flame, a great roaring wasteful furnace, devouring
irreplaceable substances of the earth.
Oil Tribe
Those of us alive today tend to believe that we are living
in a normal time, that malls and expressways are the nature
of things. From an energy perspective, however, this is
lunacy. In recent times, we have read about the Pashtuns,
Uzbeks, and Tajiks in central Asia, strange tribes with
curious customs. But contemporary Americans are arguably
the worlds most exotic people, members of the Oil Tribe.
Daily energy flows in the U.S. are now a million British
thermal units per person. This is the energy equivalent of
eight gallons of gasoline or 100 pounds of coal. One million
BTUs is also roughly equivalent to how much energy it
would take to ride a bike 25,000 miles. Or the amount of
energy contained in a bolt of lightning. This is America
explosive, lit up, mobile, jacked to the nines.
43
www.homepower.com
energy in perspective
the queen
of Egypt,
the worlds
richest woman,
had about
200 times
less power
at her disposal
than a typical
soccer mom
in an SUV.
44
home power 100 / april & may 2004
energy in perspective
The defining ritual of our culture is
not Monday Night Football or church
on Sunday; it is pulling into a gas station
to fill er up. Per person, we Americans
now consume 140 pounds of petroleum
products each weeknearly our body
weight every seven days. Petroleum is
more addictive than cocaine, and for a
culture like ours, all roads eventually
lead to Baghdad, to the Persian Gulf, to
five Muslim nations that own half the
worlds remaining oil.
We Americans are as dependent on
oil as the Sioux were on bison. But
whereas they celebrated the beast in
dance, story, and ritual, we pull into the
7-Eleven, buy 20 gallons and whine
about the cost. We ought to have a
holiday dedicated to petroleum, or at
least bow to Mecca when we buy it. And
the fact that we dont says something
troubling about us.
Im left with two questions. If our
oil-driven civilization can be compared
to a space shuttle, have the first tiles
already come off? How stable is our
Starship Enterprise?
And its not just the 150,000 soldiers
weve sent to Iraq, and the other soldiers
fighting proxy oil wars on our behalf in
Colombia, Kuwait, Qatar, Kazakhstan,
and Indonesia that concern me. Last
summer, we also had the spectacle of
Federal Reserve chairman Alan
Greenspan testifying to Congress about
the nations natural gas crisis. Due to
rapid depletion rates at existing wells,
Greenspan noted, More than half of the
nations current gas production must be
replaced in the next three years. Two-
thirds of the nations oil has already been
burned, automobile fleet mileage is at its
lowest level in twenty years, the 1990s
were the warmest decade in a thousand
years, purchasers of Hummers qualify
for a $100,000 tax deduction, and since
1990 we have added one Californias-
worth of people and automobiles.
Whos Driving?
And so, as we fasten our seatbelts in
the event of unexpected turbulence, it
behooves us to ask my second
questionis anyone in the cockpit, is
someone actually flying this thing, or
are we on autopilot?
Ive visited drilling rigs and power
plant control rooms, so I know that
engineers are monitoring the electricity
grid, gathering the natural gas, and
making sure that the Alaska oil pipeline
doesnt freeze and turn into the worlds
largest Chapstick, in Amory Lovins
memorable phrase. But the more I read,
the more convinced I am that the flight
deck itself is empty. Maybe the pilot had
an infarct, or maybe there never was a
pilot, but U.S. energy policy is brain
dead, and prospects for a soft landing
dont appear good.
Join the Sun Clan
So maybe its a good time to learn
about energy, learn about home power,
learn about how we might capture some
of that sunlight hitting the roof, which
has traveled 93 million miles in eight
minutes, photons hauling ass. If weve
climbed up Eiseleys heat ladder, our
children and grandchildren may have to
climb back down. So maybe we ought to
spend less money driving to the Moon,
and a bit more on compact fluorescent
lights, which can reduce our greenhouse
gas debts, and on photovoltaic panels,
which outliving us, are a gift we can
give our descendants, Godspeed on
their journey.
You and I are traveling awfully fast,
but no one ever said that members of
the Oil Tribe couldnt join the Sun Clan,
celebrate the Solstice, and rearrange our
priorities. Its an unusual moment in
human history. Maybe speed and power
arent everything theyve been cracked
up to be. If we slowed down a bit, let the
engine cool, maybe our souls could
finally catch up.
Access
Randy Udall, Community Office for
Resource Efficiency (CORE), PO Box
9707, Aspen, CO 81612 970-544-9808
Fax: 970-963-5691 rudall@aol.com
www.aspencore.org
Other Home Power articles by Randy
Udall:
Stud Muffins & Kilowatt-Hours
HP45
Grid-Connected PV Whats It
Worth? HP64
When Will the Joyride End? HP81
U.S. Energy FlowIn the Belly of
the Beast HP87
AWP
African Wind Power
Direct
Grid Connect
Systems
Without
Batteries
Now Available!
CEC Listing Pending
Distributed by:
Abundant
Renewable
Energy
www.AbundantRE.com
22700 NE Mountain Top Rd.
Newberg, OR 97132
(503) 538-8298
Fax (503) 538-8782
Strong as
an elephant,
but not quite
as heavy.
45
www.homepower.com





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46
home power 100 / april & may 2004
Mickey Mestel
2004 Mickey Mestel
y article in HP93, Backyard
Solar Made Simple, described
how great it was to be able to
pull some of our juice directly from the
sun. At the time, I couldnt justify a grid-
intertie system since we were renting the
house that we lived in. Well, we still rent
the same house, but circumstances called
for us to do it anyway. Once it became
clear to me that we were going to war in
Iraq, and in my opinion the motive was
little else besides oil, I decided that I had
to do something more.
We already owned a Toyota Prius as our main vehicle,
used an on-demand water heater in the house, and used an
average of only 6 KWH of electricity per day. Still, the small,
stand-alone system we had previously installed wasnt
enough, and I wanted more.
I went to my landlord and told her what I wanted to do.
She is a wonderful woman who lives right in front of us, and
was actually more concerned for us than for herself in this
matter! This house will go to her nieces and nephews as
their inheritance, and she wanted to make sure that if we are
still here when this happens, we will be able to prove that
the system is ours and not the estates. Everyone should be
blessed with a landlord like this.
We drew up a document saying that the system belongs
to us, and when we leave, we can either take it with us or
the estate has the option to buy it. That gives us a great deal
of flexibility, and we know that if we sell it, we are leaving a
smaller environmental footprint behind us.
The author (right) and Dave Coale (left) installing the PVs.
One System
Leads to Another
M
47
www.homepower.com
PV systemgrid-tied
(Down) Sizing the System
So, off I went! Sizing the system was relatively easy for
two reasons. The first is that our utility bills give the usage
for each month for the past year. This eliminates the need to
make up a whole system load chart. We could determine the
size of the array we needed simply from these utility bill
numbers. The annual total showed that we are using an
average of 5.87 KWH per day, which I rounded up to 6
KWH per day.
Our small, stand-alone PV and battery system does
reduce our utility bill, but not much. We still run the juicer,
blender, vacuum cleaner, and cell phone chargers off the
small system, but this probably saves us no more than about
250 WH per day. The biggest draw on this system is the
vacuum cleaner, which I run about once a week. The juicer
and blender only run an average of once a day for 2 to 5
minutes, so they are not much of a load.
The number of kilowatt-hours we use continues to
amaze me, even though Ive known it for a while now. The
average American home uses about 20 KWH per day. We
live in a 1,200 square foot (110 m
2
) house, and have most of
the modern appliances, except for a microwave and a
dishwasher. We do all the things most households do,
except that the television is only on for an average of 1
hour a day or less. With a 1-year-old, we do three to four
loads of laundry a week. And our refrigerator isnt even
Energy Star compliant! We needed a small unit due to lack
of space in the kitchen, and it is harder to find smaller units
that are efficient. Our range/oven and space heating are
both gas.
We have done a number of simple things that have
enabled us to use as little energy as we do. We have almost
all compact fluorescent (CF) bulbs. We have eliminated all
phantom loads, (TV, VCR, DVD player, computer, DSL
modem, printer, and speakers). We switched from a desktop
to a laptop for our main computer system. We installed an
in-line manual switch for the electric water heater that
serves only the washing machine. And maybe most
important, we are very conscientious about turning off
lights when not in the room.
Being conscientious was the hardest part of all, and it
is still an unlearning process from many years of growing
up and abusing energy. After two or three years at it, I
still find myself walking out of a room and leaving the
lights on once in a while, but will almost always notice
that the lights are on and no one is in the room shortly
afterwards.
Since both of us tend to use the computer a lot, it is
common for the computer system to be on for eight or
more hours a day. With the old desktop system, it would
draw anywhere from 100 to 120 watts continuously.
Averaged over the course of a day, this would use more
energy than our refrigerator! With the laptop, this is down
to about 40 watts continuously, a huge savings. The laptop
is also configured to go into sleep mode if not in use for
more that 5 minutes, another huge savings when we arent
using it.
It is said that for every $1 of efficiency measures, you
save $3 to $5 in RE generation costs. This also means major
savings if you are using grid electricity. It is difficult for me
sometimes when I see how easy and cheap it is to save large
amounts of energy, and yet most people simply arent aware
of their energy use.
DC disconnect (left) and Sunny Boy inverter (right).
Tech Specs
System Overview
System type: Batteryless grid-intertied PV
Location: Palo Alto, California
Solar resource: 5.4 average daily peak sun hours
Production: 98 AC KWH per month average
Percentage offset by PV system: 54 percent
Photovoltaics
PV: 6 Sharp NE-Q5E2U, 165 W STC, 24 VDC
Array: 990 W STC, 144 VDC nominal
Array disconnect: Siemens heavy duty safety
Array installation: Roof-mounted UniRac
SolarMount, oriented true south; 20 degree tilt
angle
Balance of System
Inverter: SMA Sunny Boy SB1800U, up to 400
VDC input, 120 VAC output, 139400 VDC MPPT
voltage window
System performance metering: Schlumberger
Centron KWH meter
switch, 30 A, 600 VAC, 600 VDC
48
home power 100 / april & may 2004
PV systemgrid-tied
Array Sizing
The second reason that sizing was easy for us was roof
space. I have only a small area of available south-facing roof.
It is triangular, with a 25 foot (7.6 m) base and 12.5 foot (3.8 m)
height, totaling 156 square feet (14.5 m
2
). Obviously, only a
portion of that is usable, the portion that can fit a number of
rectangular panels without going over the edges. (Some
major PV manufacturers are now making triangular modules
to fit into those rooflines.) I drew up a small diagram, and
played with various sizes of rectangles, based on the sizes of
the panels listed in the specs by the various manufacturers.
In the end, I decided on a little less wattage to be able to
go with fewer large panels instead of more small panels. I
liked the idea of fewer connections and fewer panels to
install, fewer holes in the roof, and a quicker installation. I
opted for six Sharp 165 panels, since the size and output was
right. I could easily fit the six panels on the roof, and they
added up nicely to 990 W and 144 V nominal when
connected in series, enough for one string on a high voltage
Sunny Boy 1800 watt inverter.
Putting It All Together
I ended up with a very straightforward system design
about 1 KW of panels and a Sunny Boy inverter. The Sunny
Boy was a given. It has the best reputation in the industry
right now. Its a high voltage inverter, which makes for
much simpler wiring, and the price is right.
I found what I needed at Northern Arizona Wind and
Sun. They had great prices both on the panels and the
inverter, as well as an AC disconnect and the UniRac
SolarMounts. The only other major thing I needed was the
DC disconnect and all the wiring and conduit, which I got
from the guys at Palo Alto Hardwares solar division. (This
is an Ace hardware store that has a very successful solar
The meter spinning backwardsselling to the grid!
The completed system, with the small 64 W system in the background (see HP93.)
49
www.homepower.com
PV systemgrid-tied
division, and 30 KW of PVs on their
own roof. I guess theres more to the
name Silicon Valley than meets
the eye)
The toughest part of the
installation was working on the
roof. It took almost a whole day to
cut the cedar shakes away down to
the slats so we could bolt the PV
mount standoffs to the rafters, and
then get the roof jacks over the
standoffs and under the remaining
shingles to make a watertight seal.
Not a job I look forward to doing
againI would probably hire this
out next time.
Once that was done, it was all
very easy. I am lucky to have a
friend, David Coale, an electric
vehicle whiz, who is expanding into
photovoltaics, around to give me a
hand. Early on a northern California
January day, we got started.
The six panels went up quickly,
with the positive, negative, and
equipment ground from the series
string going into a weatherproof
junction box, and then into
1
/2 inch
EMT. The EMT goes over the
roofline and gutter, under the soffit,
and around to the DC disconnect, which is on the back side
of the house. I wanted the inverter and disconnect on the
back side of the house out of view, and in a place where I
would have easy access to it, right out the back door.
We used #10 (5 mm
2)
THHN wire for the 25 foot (7.6 m)
run from the panels to the inverter, which gave us less than
2 percent wire loss for 25 feet (7.6 m) at about 5 A. From the
inverter, the AC also ran via #10 for the 70 foot (21 m) run to
the AC disconnect. This was more than adequate for this
distance, but again ensured minimal line loss.
The service panel for this house is on the detached
garage about 25 feet (7.6 m) from the house, so we ran the
wires in
1
/2 inch EMT under the house, and made use of the
underground 1 inch EMT that exists to bring the utility feed
from the service panel into the house. This is where a good
wiring fish tape was invaluable!
From there, it was a (relatively) simple hook-up from the
AC disconnect to the service panel. This older panel uses
stab-lock circuit breakers, and there wasnt an available slot.
So I had to buy not only a single-pole, 20 A breaker for the
PV to connect up, but also a dual-pole, 20 A, 220 V breaker
to replace a 20 A, 220 V, four-pole breaker to free up a slot.
That cost me US$97 for used circuit breakers! If it was my
own house, theres no question that I would have just
upgraded the whole panel.
Painful Process & Just Rewards
And that was it. On a warm, sunny Sunday in late
January 2003, we threw the switch and watched the Sunny
Boy go through its initial checks. After 5 minutes, we saw it
start producing. We had a small party with champagne for
all as we celebrated our (almost) energy independence.
The most difficult part of the whole installation was
dealing with the California Energy Commission (CEC) for
the rebate. California was giving a rebate of US$4.50 per
watt on systems at that time, (it is now US$4, or US$3 on
self-installed systems), and it was hell dealing with them. I
heard later that they were hiring student interns to answer
Note: All numbers are rated, manufacturers specifications,
or nominal unless otherwise specified.
Inverter:
SMA Sunny Boy 1800U, 1800 W,
400 VDC maximum input,
120 VAC output, MPPT,
utility interactive
Photovoltaics: Six Sharp NE-Q5E2U, 165 W each, wired for 990 W total at 144 VDC
DC
Disconnect
Earth Ground
To Utility Grid:
220 VAC
KWH
Meter
AC
Disconnect
Performance
KWH
Meter:
Schlumberger
Centron
G
H
N
K
W
H

/

D
a
y

f
r
o
m

G
r
i
d
Mestel System Grid Usage
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Apr.
02
Jun.
02
Aug.
02
Oct.
02
Dec.
02
Feb.
03
Apr.
03
50
home power 100 / april & may 2004
PV systemgrid-tied
the phones, and most of them couldnt care less about what
they were doing, or if they could help you or not. In my case,
it was or not.
I lost about five weeks on the installation time waiting
for them to approve my application, which they lost,
couldnt figure out, couldnt properly tell me what I was
missing, and just basically abused. It was a trying
experience, but in the end I got my rebate, and all was well.
A lesson learned: triple-checking that you have
everything in order can save weeks of time when people
who dont care to help are involved. And finding someone
who had done the process before would have helped
tremendously. I hope that others I can inform will benefit
from this. And certainly this doesnt apply to just the CEC
rebate program, but any time you are dealing with
government, especially if it concerns getting money back
from them!
And now for the rewards! The house here isnt an ideal
place for a PV system, since I estimate that we are getting
about 30 percent shading. The Solar Pathfinder showed that
we would see almost complete shading for the winter months
of November through February, with the hours of available
sunlight per day creeping up until finally at the end of April,
we would get a full day of sunlight on the panels.
This proved to be the case, since we were getting less
than 1 KWH per day when we put the system in, and about
5.2 KWH per day in late April and early May. Unfortunately,
without the shading, this system would probably cover
about
7
/8 of our energy usage. With the shading, it covers a
little over half.
Still, to me it is worth it. We are drawing significantly
less off the grid, and either we will leave this system behind
so someone new can see the benefits of RE, or we will take
it with us when we move, which will almost assuredly be to
a place where we can get full sunlight on the panels, and
truly make as much use of them as possible. Overall, it has
been an incredibly rewarding experience.
And Yet Again
So just as I ended up adding a second 32 W UniSolar
panel to my small battery-based system, Im going to add
1 more Sharp 165 W panel to this system. Even though I
knew that my output would be low because of the
shading, it was still disappointing to see it put out only 2
or 3 KWH per day, even though we were having full days
of sun.
Once I looked at the roofline in relation to where the
panels sit, I realized that I could slip one more panel in there,
and still not overhang the roofline on either side. When I put
the system together, I was thinking in terms of twos, since
that is how the panels are shipped. With four panels on the
bottom row, and two on the top, that was an easy three
crates of two panels each.
But Ive found a single panel for sale, and I hope that
within a month or so it will be up and running, boosting my
output by another 16.6 percent. Will my quest for more
renewable energy ever end?
Access
Mickey Mestel, 936 Boyce Ave., Palo Alto, CA94301
mickm@carmick.com
Northern Arizona Wind & Sun, 2725 E Lakin Dr., Flagstaff,
AZ 86004 800-383-0195 or 928-526-8017
Fax: 928-527-0729 windsun@wind-sun.com
www.wind-sun.com PVs & rack, inverter, AC disconnect
Palo Alto Hardware, Solar Division, 875 Alma St., Palo Alto,
CA94301 650-327-7220 solar@paloaltohardware.com
www.paloaltohardware.com DC disconnect, wiring,
conduit
Mestel System Costs
Item Cost (US$)
% of
Total
6 Sharp 165 W modules $3,570.00 50%
Sunny Boy 1800 inverter 1,968.00 27%
Uni-Rac PV mounts 486.40 7%
Shipping 343.00 5%
Schlumberger Centron KWH meter 250.00 3%
Wire, roof jacks, EMT, hardware 137.87 2%
DC disconnect 105.30 1%
Stab-lock breakers 103.95 1%
Building permit 100.00 1%
AC disconnect, 60 A 95.00 1%
Cables 14.00 0%
Fuses, 60 A 13.00 0%
Total $7,186.52 100%
CEC rebate -$3,593.31 -50%
15% Tax credit -538.00 -7%
Net Cost $3,055.21 43%
BZ Products Model MPPT500
Voltage Converting 500 watt 38 amp
MPPT Charge Controller
Boost charge current up to 30%
15% boost typical.
Up to 38 amps output current
95 % efficiency
500 watt PV input
Universal PV input 12 to 48 volts
Selectable 12, 24 or 48 volt output
Digital metering
PWM float control
Battery temperature sensor standard
Optional remote metering
Five year warranty
Available world wide
Patent pending
BZ Products, Inc.
314-644-2490 bzp@brick.net
7614 Marion Ct., St. Louis, MO 63143, USA
51
www.homepower.com
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Energy efficiency and resource efficiency are often targeted as
goals when planning a new home. Low embodied energy of the
building materials is another important objective. Building with
straw bales can help you to achieve these and many other design
goalsfrom energy efficiency to indoor air quality to aesthetic
style and more.
Meeting Design Goals
with Straw Bales
The Aspen Center for Environmental Studies straw bale house strives for a Victorian look to fit with other buildings on the site.
Laura Struempler
2004 Laura Struempler
Photo by Dale Abrams
55
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straw bale construction
Straw bale construction, the use of stacked bales of straw
as an insulative wall material and as a structural
component, has become a wide and much traveled path in
the natural building movement. Homes, schools, retail
establishments, bed and breakfasts, and even a winery and
a blacksmith shop have been built using straw bale
construction. It has spread to at least nineteen countries on
six continents and is supported by code and testing
programs in several countries. Much has been published on
the how-tos and the beauty of straw bale construction.
Baled Gold
The unique properties of straw bales allow them to fulfill
many needs. Straw is a superb choice for creating a wall with
excellent thermal performance. Bale walls offer an R-value of
2.4 per inch, or up to R-50 total. They are covered with
plaster, which adds substantial mass to the super-insulated
wall assembly. This allows energy and cost savings over the
life of the home, as well as high comfort for the inhabitants.
Straw is a waste product after grain
is threshed, so it can help to replace
other higher embodied energy
materials, such as lumber and
fiberglass insulation. You can decrease
the embodied energy further by
finding a source for your straw (and all
your building materials) as close to
home as possible.
Your site and region may dictate
fire resistance as an essential design
goal. Straw bale construction has
proven through testing and example to
be a first-rate material for fire-
resistance. Seismic durability is also a
good quality of a plastered straw bale
wall. Other goals that are met easily
with straw bales are nontoxic
construction, construction cost
reduction, good acoustic insulation,
curved or round walls, and beautiful,
sensuous spaces, among others.
Gold Examples in the Field
You dont have to look far to find straw bales
successfully meeting design goals set by the owner-builder
or architect. The following four buildings, which I worked
on in capacities from owner-builder to straw boss to project
manager, all demonstrate project intentions being met with
straw bales. They also offer examples of a variety of design
options, styles, and details.
My own home is an example of straw bales meeting
demanding thermal performance goals. At 8,250 feet (2,515
m) in elevation on a windy but south-facing site in
Colorado, my family and I set out to create a home with very
high thermal performance, high comfort, and low energy
use. Using basic passive solar design principles, R-45 straw
bale walls, and R-50 cellulose attic insulation, the home
performs beyond expectations.
The lower level is partially earth-bermed, so we chose a
foam form foundation wall that is R-26. The floor joists are
hung 6 inches (15 cm) below the top of the wall so that the
straw on the upper level is raised above the floor level. This
was done to prevent the bottom of the bales from getting wet
if there is ever a plumbing break and flood at floor height.
The bales sit on the sealed foundation wall and a
plywood box, which creates a base wide enough for the
three-string bales. The walls on this level are post and beam,
using dimensional lumber infilled with bales. The walls are
covered with cement stucco on the outside and gypsum
plaster on the interior, which provides substantial thermal
mass. As a testament to the mass, before the bales were
plastered, the daily temperature swings were approximately
20F (11C). Once plastered, the mass brought that down to
about a 5F (3C) swing from day to night.
Beyond the passive solar heating, we supplement with
radiant floor heating fueled by propane. This gave us mass
in the main floor, since the radiant tubing is laid in sand
Super insulation was a top design goal at the Struemplers high altitude site.
between 2 by 2s nailed every 1 foot (31 cm) onto the
plywood subfloor. The finished floor is tongue and groove
pine nailed perpendicular to the 2 by 2s.
We stubbed copper pipe into the attic for solar hot water
panels, but our propane use has been so minimal that we
havent felt compelled to make the installation a priority
over all the other things we are still doing. The first few
years after construction, the propane truck driver was
totally confounded by how rarely he needed to refill our 500
gallon (1,900 l) tank. Hed knock on our door when he was
up to fill our neighbors tanks and leave shaking his head.
All of the propane use, which includes heating, domestic
hot water, and cooking requirements for our 2,324 square
foot (216 m
2
; interior measurements) home has averaged 42
gallons (160 l) or US$42 per month. The straw bale walls also
56
home power 100 / april & may 2004
straw bale construction
make a beautiful, quiet sanctuary
inside, even when theres a storm
howling outside.
No Highway Noise in the
Classroom
Jeff Dickinson, the architect of the
Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork, in
Carbondale, Colorado, had many
goals as he set out to design an entire
campus, with more than 20,000 square
feet (1,860 m
2
) of straw bale buildings.
Among these goals was isolating the
campus from the roar of the highway.
Luckily for solar design, the
campus sits to the south of the
highway, so that the more open and
highly glazed south sides of the
buildings face away from the busy
road. However, choosing a wall
material such as straw bales was still
essential to creating a barrier to the
highway noise. The straw bales with
just a few small windows in the north wall allow students to
meander the beautifully painted north hallway, unaware of
the roar of truck traffic on the busy highway just in front of
the school.
The straw bales also helped to meet such design goals as
the use of nontoxic, natural materials, super insulation,
heavy use of volunteer labor, and construction cost
reduction. The construction of the first wing came in at an
astounding US$63 per square foot compared to
conventional local school construction costs, which run
about US$150 per square foot. This was largely due to the
amount of volunteer effort incorporated, as well as
donations and discounts on materials.
Straw for Staff Housing
When the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies
(ACES), a nonprofit educational center, began the design
process for a building to house their staff, they wanted to
create a demonstration of highly energy efficient, low
embodied energy, compact housing. To meet their goals, I
helped them by searching diligently to find as local a source
as possible for good bales, which involved talking with
many ranchers and crawling on a lot of straw stacks looking
for dry, tight, weed-free bales.
ACES also chose to source nearly all their lumber from a
hotel that was being demolished right in town. The crew
pulled nails and recut boards to create both structural
members and finish material for the new structure. The
duplex staff housing also uses a straw bale wall to
acoustically isolate the two, 500 square foot (46 m
2
), one-
bedroom units.
The straw bale house at ACES also shows how you can
meet aesthetic design needs with straw bales. The site
already included a historic Victorian home, and the new
structure was to blend with that aesthetic. Accordingly, the
building uses sharp corners, flat walls, and corresponding
wood trim details. See the intro photo.
Straw & Tire Environmental Classroom
ACES partners with the Aspen School District to provide
weekly environmental education classes to all the local
students in grades K-4. They were sorely in need of a
permanent home for the program. With the vision and
tenacity of environmental education and art teacher Wendy
MacPhail, a classroom building was created with an
enormous community effort, which in its form and
technology teaches many of the lessons of the program it
houses. The inside is even filled with Plexiglas truth
windows to show students the construction methods and
technologies at work.
Design Rule of Thumb
One of the most common mistakes we witness
around straw bale construction has nothing to do
with the bales. Many inexperienced people
interested in building with bales do a tremendous
amount of research, but only on straw bale
construction. Most of them do not know why
windows are detailed the way they are in frame
construction, thereby missing the point of
hundreds of years of experience by others. A rule
of thumb: if it works, dont change it! Do your
homework from all points of view. Jeff Ruppert,
P. E. and owner of Odisea LLC
The organic walls in the Aspen School Districts environmental education classroom.
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straw bale construction
Wendy was clear with architect Jeff Dickinson that she
wanted an organic form for the building. Straw bales bend
and easily create a beautifully curved south wall. Since the
north wall was below grade, rammed earth tires complete
the back wall and successfully mimic both the bales ability
to bend and their thick wall construction. The classroom
building is an example of straw bales meeting the goals of
organic form, involvement of all ages, use of natural and
recycled materials, energy efficiency, and renewable energy.
The building is also equipped with a grid-tied PV system
installed by Solar Energy International, and a solar hot water
system heating the radiant floors, installed by Aspen Solar.
Check Out Your Options
Just as straw bale construction offers many
opportunities to meet design goals, it also offers many
design options. Some of the most fundamental structural
choices you will make when planning a straw bale building
are which type of foundation to use and how to hold up the
roof. Obviously, there are many, many more options you
will weigh through the planning process.
As you can see in the following discussion, each choice
and how well it is detailed can have ramifications through
to the last stage of construction. Knowing and
understanding your options and the effects of these options
should dictate your design choices while youre still at the
drawing board. As Catherine Wanek, author of The New
Straw Bale Home cautions, To live up to its promise, straw
bale building systems must be understood and optimized.
High & Dry
Foundations in our cold climate in Colorado serve
several purposes. Among these, they:
Carry the load of the building down to stable, frost-free
soil
Isolate the rest of the building materials from rising soil
moisture with a capillary break
Protect the bottom of the bale wall from rain splash or
snow
Provide a platform wide enough for bales without
excessive use of concrete
One good choice for a foundation is the shallow, frost-
protected footing as used in most of the Waldorf School
buildings. Because rigid foam insulation is laid down and
out from the perimeter of the building to keep the frost from
reaching the thickened edge slab, the need for excavating to
the frost line (which in our area is 4 feet; 1.2 m) and pouring
concrete in that huge trench is eliminated. Bales with this
system are typically raised, or toed up, by setting them on
two treated 2 by 4s with insulation in between.
At the Waldorf School, an innovative approach was used
to raise the bales even higher and to provide a space where
the electricians could run most of the wiring. The bales were
set on a short wall made of one course of foam form blocks
with a framed wall set inside, and topped with plywood.
Another useful approach, which we used on our
workshop building, is the rubble trench foundation
popularized by Frank Lloyd Wright (see the natural
building intro article in HP99). This also saves a lot of
Gravel fills the
rubble trench
before concrete
is poured for
the footer at the
Struemplers
workshop.
Preparation for this shallow, frost-protected foundation
at the Waldorf School allows for a thicker perimeter.
A wall at the Waldorf school. Note the short wall below the
bales, and the post set to the inside of the straw.
58
home power 100 / april & may 2004
straw bale construction
concrete while still providing a high and dry platform for
the bale wall. Since the floor is not poured at the same time,
it allows you to choose something other than a concrete slab
floor, such as a poured adobe floor.
The top of the foundation details are important for
planning ahead to the plastering stage. In almost all cases,
the exterior stucco should end at least 6 to 8 inches (1520
cm) above your final grade to prevent moisture damage. A
stucco stop (often a preformed metal edge) is important to
cleanly stop the plaster above grade and provide a capillary
break from soil moisture. Because a stucco stop is often
attached to the foundation, deciding what form of stucco
stop you plan to use and how and where you will securely
attach it should be decided before you begin building.
Also, if you have to apply rigid insulation to the exterior
of your foundation, make sure that it will not stick out past
your plaster and create a place for moisture to sit or be
trapped. Any moisture barrier used at the foundation level
should be applied in overlapping shingle fashion to prevent
moisture intrusion.
Holding Up the Roof
Structurally, straw bale buildings can be load bearing,
which means that the bale walls support the roof, as in the
historic straw bale homes of Nebraska. Alternatively, they
can be post and beam structures with the straw bales as
infill. Because the codes in our area do not yet allow load
bearing straw walls, all of the structures presented here are
post and beam.
Post and beam structures are unique to straw bale walls
as opposed to other natural building systems, such as
adobe, rammed earth, or cob walls. This element alone
offers several options to be considered when designing.
Posts set to the outside can allow porches or storage areas.
Posts within the straw walls give the opportunity to use
nonaesthetic dimensional or composite lumber, preferably
recycled, for your structural members. Posts set inside the
wall can allow the beauty of logs or timbers inside the living
space.
Dealing with Moisture
Water is the main enemy of straw. Straw that gets
wet and stays wet will surely decompose; kept dry,
it seems to last forever. Paul Lacinski and Michel
Bergeron, authors of Serious Straw Bale
1. Buy dry bales and keep them dry during
storage and construction.
2. Design an adequate foundation and roof (boots
and hat), and provide excellent detailing at
openings and transitions. This approach helps
to minimize wetting from the main external
water sourcesrain, snow, and soil moisture.
3. Seal the bale walls well with a natural plaster.
This tackles both exterior liquid moisture and
moisture from the interior through air leakage
and vapor diffusion.
4. Think clearly about and plan well for indoor
moisture issues. Straw bale structures typically
create a very tight house, unlike the drafty
houses of our ancestors. This condition means
that we must pay more attention to indoor air
quality and indoor moisture.
Interior
Foundation
Interior
Interior
Beam
Rafter
Bale Wall
Post Exterior to Wall:
Creates large overhang for rain-
protected walkways
Post Within Wall: Concealed
under plaster, allows use of
nonaesthetic materials
Post Interior to Wall:
Often used with timberframe
and log construction
Options for Post Position
Nicely detailed stucco stop at the ACES straw bale house.
59
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straw bale construction
we had a smooth unbroken surface to work with, and did
not have to worry about shrink cracks where the plaster met
a protruding post.
At the Waldorf School, the north side of the east wing was
built with Parallam posts (a composite wood product)
supported by post pads and concrete pillars all set to the
outside of the straw wall. This created a useful north porch off
the parking area, and an external hallway for the older
classes. The straw wall went up easily with no notching, and
the small north windows are set in rough bucks directly in
the straw wall. The straw on that side is very well protected
from exterior moisture both at the top and bottom of the wall.
The straw bale house at ACES placed posts within the
straw walls to hide the reused lumber, which had
unattractive brown paint and nail holes. Because of the need
to approximate the Victorian style of a nearby structure, the
house does have a lot of corners, which necessitated many
extra posts, more notching, and more preparation to stucco
the posts. This speaks to the ideal of simplifying the design
of your building so that you dont create the trickle down
effect of excess materials and labor from one design
decision.
Logs were used to support the south straw wall at the
environmental education classroom, and they alternate
between being buried in straw and being exposed between
the windows. This has presented some moisture detailing
challenges along the sill as the logs and stucco have shrunk.
When details like this are thought through ahead of time, it
can help to prevent substantial problems with your building.
Straw Built to Last
All homes or structures are a combination of many
design goals. Straw bales are an excellent choice to bring
you to success with many of your goals. As you move
through the design process of your straw bale project,
remember to know and understand your design choices,
Planning & Preparing for
the Approval Process
When approaching the permitting process for an
alternative building, start early. The first rule is to
recognize that getting approval is a process.
Identify as many of the nonstandard aspects of the
project as early as possible, giving yourself and
the building department a long lead time to
address these.
Gather information about the jurisdiction and
applicable codes. Learn what you can about the
jurisdiction in which the project is located.
Familiarize yourself with local permit process
requirements, and the current codes and standards
that will apply to your project, including the
sections related to the alternative approaches that
will be included in the project.
Gather information about the specific alternatives.
Identify potential areas of concern for each
alternative proposed. Then research and collect
relevant information. Try to obtain the best
reference materialstechnical reports, test results,
books, authoritative publications, videos, and
documentation of the successful use (and
approval) of the alternative in other places.
Supporting material should be as regionally,
climatically, seismically, or generally similar to the
local circumstances as possible.
Find and enlist the help of allies and sources of
expertise. Seek out and, when necessary, engage
knowledgeable experts and resource people,
including sympathetic code officials, to support
your position. Use networking to find others who
have previously gone through an approval process
for the alternatives you are proposing. Involving
people with the right expertise or prior experience
in addressing anticipated problem areas can help
you develop the rationale for what you are
proposing, often shortening the approval process.
David Eisenberg, Development Center for
Appropriate Technology. 2004 David Eisenberg
Choosing the post and beam option and materials for
your situation will have impacts on the foundation, roof
structure, straw installation, and plaster detailing. For
example, in my own home, I used dimensional lumber that
assembled quickly for the posts that would be hidden in the
wall. We did have to notch the bales to fit around the posts
using an electric chainsaw, but when it came to plastering,
Paul Struempler
reminds us why
we build with
strawfor future
generations.
60
home power 100 / april & may 2004
straw bale construction
prethink your details, study the books, volunteer on jobs,
and get as much help and advice as you need.
From identifying your design goals to working through
the details of connections, interfaces of different materials,
attachments, custom details, embellishments, to plaster
details and moisture details, take time with the process. Any
good material becomes an even better choice for the
environment if put into a well planned building that is built
to last many generations.
Access
Laura Struempler, Struempler Consulting, 523 Park Circle,
Basalt, CO 81621 970-379-6779 Fax: 970-927-4004
struempler@sopris.net
Jeff Dickinson, Energy & Sustainable Design, 0504 Crystal
Circle, Carbondale, CO 81623 Phone/Fax: 970-963-0114
biospace@rof.net
David Eisenberg, Development Center for Appropriate
Technology, PO Box 27513, Tucson, AZ 85726
520-624-6628 Fax: 520-798-3701 strawnet@aol.com
www.dcat.net
Jeff Ruppert, P.E., ODISEA, 2241 17th St., Boulder, CO
80302 303-443-4335 Fax: 303-443-4355
jeff@odiseanet.com www.odiseanet.com
Solar Energy International, PO Box 715, Carbondale, CO
81623 970-963-8855 Fax: 970-963-8866
sei@solarenergy.org www.solarenergy.org
Aspen Solar Systems, PO Box 2391, Aspen, CO 81611
970-925-3659 mike@aspensolar.com
www.aspensolar.com
The Last Straw Journal, PO Box 22706, Lincoln, NE 68542
402-483-5135 Fax: 402-483-5161
thelaststraw@thelaststraw.org www.thelaststraw.org
Alternative Construction: Contemporary Natural Building
Methods, edited by Lynne Elizabeth and Cassandra Adams,
2000, hardcover, 392 pages, ISBN 0-471-24951-3 US$59.95
from John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Customer Care Center,
Consumer Accounts, 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis,
IN 46256 877-762-2974 Fax: 800-597-3299
consumers@wiley.com www.wiley.com
The New Straw Bale Home, Catherine Wanek, 2003,
hardcover, 188 pages, ISBN 1-58685-203-5 US$39.95 from
Gibbs Smith, Publisher, PO Box 667, Layton, UT, 84041
800-748-5439 or 801-544-9800 Fax: 800-213-3023 or
801-546-8853 alison@gibbs-smith.com
www.gibbs-smith.com
Serious Straw Bale, Paul Lacinski and Michel Bergeron,
2000, paperback, 371 pages, ISBN 1-890132-64-0 US$30
from Chelsea Green Publishing, PO Box 428, White River
Junction, VT 05001 800-639-4099 or 802-295-6300
Fax: 802-295-6444 info@chelseagreen.com
www.chelseagreen.com
From the Ground Up: APrimer for Natural House
Building, Rachel Ware and Laurie Stone, HP99, page 62.
Add aesthetics to the benefits of PVpower
Low, clean lines. Your choice of clear or dark bronze anodized finish.
Like a skylight, SunFrame becomes a natural feature of any home.
To be sure, it also meets strict structural standards, including
Uniform and California building codes, and delivers the
installation ease youve come to expect from UniRac.
UniRac, Inc. 3201 University Boulevard SE, Suite 110 505.242.6411
info@unirac.com Albuquerque NM 87106-5635 USA 505.242.6412 Fax
PV MODULE FRAMING AND MOUNTING SYSTEM FOR PITCHED ROOFS
www.unirac.com
The SunFrame system is U.S. patent pending.
ZAPSUCKER
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61
www.homepower.com
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Solar Hot Water History
Nothing New under the Sun
John Perlin
2004 John Perlin
It may surprise you that the first commercial solar water
heater went on the market in 1891. Clarence Kemp invented
and sold it through his Baltimore appliance factory outlet.
Kemp had seen earlier solar water heaters put together
by farmersmetal water tanks painted black and placed
directly in the sun out in the fields during the summer. By
late afternoon, when farm work had everyones skin full of
grit, grime, and sweat, and their bodies exhausted,
farmhands opened up the spigot on the tank, and filled
buckets with water hot enough to soothe their aching
muscles and refresh their overheated bodies.
The problem with these simple solar heaters, Kemp
observed, was not whether they could produce hot water,
but when and for how long. Even on clear, hot days, it
usually took from morning to early afternoon for the water
to get hot. And as soon as the sun set, the tanks rapidly lost
heat because they were uninsulated and unprotected from
the cool night air.
A Pomona Valley, California, house with a Day and Night solar water heater near the turn of the last century.
Advertisement for the first commercial solar water heater
the Climaxinvented in 1891.
Clarence M. Kemp of Baltimore, Maryland
the father of solar water heating
and inventor of the Climax solar collector.
65
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solar history
Kemp had also read in popular journals how the
American astrophysicist Samuel Pierpoint Langley had
taken an insulated, glass-covered box and exposed it to the
sun on the snow-covered slopes of Mount Whitney. Though
outside temperatures had dropped below freezing, the
inside of the box heated up above the boiling point of water.
Kemp realized that if he placed several tanks painted black
inside a glass-covered box, he would have a superior
method of heating water with the sun. In 1891, he won a
patent for the new heater, and called it the Climax, the
worlds first commercial solar water heater.
He advertised his heater as the acme of simplicity
compared with conventional water heaters. Just turn on the
faucet and instantly out comes the hot water, the sales
literature boasted. Thanks to the Climax, according to
company brochures, housewives no longer had to fire up
the stove in summer, and wealthy gentlemen, who had to
stay behind to work while their families and servants left
sultry Baltimore to summer in more pleasant climes, could
return home at night and instantly draw hot water with no
fuss or bother.
Sales of the Climax really took off in California. By 1897,
one-third of households in Pasadena relied on the Climax
for heating water. More than 1,600 were sold in southern
California by 1900. Economics was the prime lure of the
Climax. For an investment of $25, the owner saved about $9
a year on coal. As one journalist pointed out, exorbitant fuel
prices forced Californians to take the asset of sunshine into
full partnership. In this section of the country where soft
coal sells for $13 a ton (and the huge peaches bring only $2
a ton), a builder cannot afford to waste his sun-rays.
California is in particular need of its solar heaters.
Daily Gifts
Others, though, saw a more
important reason for going solar.
Charles Pope, writing in 1903, urged
consumers to consider that wood and
oil and coal and gas are steadily
consumed by use. Not only will the
coming generations be less
comfortably supplieda thing most of
us care very little aboutbut the drain
today may produce distress in our
own homes and lay an embargo on our
own business tomorrow. Contrast this
with the freedom of the people who
receive daily gifts of fuel from the
Creator, taking all they wish, all they
can use, freely.
Between 1898 and 1909, more than
a dozen inventors filed patents for new
solar water heaters, but everyone
merely refined the Climax design. In
1909, William J. Bailey saw the
shortcomings of the glass-covered tank
solar water heaterscollecting and
Cutaway drawing from a company brochure of a typical southern California home with
a Day and Night Solar Heater installation. The system was also connected to the house
gas heater to warm the water after several days without sun.
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solar history
storing solar heated water in the same unit allowed the
water to cool down after dark or when the weather got bad.
Bailey revolutionized the solar water heater industry by
separating the solar collector from the storage unit. He
attached narrow water pipes to a black metal plate and put
them into a shallow, glass-covered, insulated box. Then he
connected the collector to an elevated, autonomous,
insulated storage unit. As the sun heated the water, it
became lighter than the colder water below, naturally rising
into the storage tank. His solar water heater worked better
than Kemps because the sun heated a smaller volume of
water at a time, and the heated water immediately went to
a storage tank protected from the elements.
Bailey called his company the Day and Night Solar
Heater Company, because unlike the Climax, it supplied
solar heated water during the day and at night. The added
benefits of the Day and Night soon put those manufacturing
the Climax out of business. By the end of World War I, more
than 4,000 households in southern California heated their
water with Day and Night solar water heaters.
Cheap Gas & Electricity
The discovery of cheap local supplies of natural gas
concurrent with the development of the thermostatically
controlled gas water heater in the early 1920s killed the solar
water heater industry in southern California. The solar water
heater business then migrated to southern Florida, where a
booming housing market and high energy costs created
much demand for Baileys invention. By 1941, more than half
the households in Miami heated their water with the sun.
But war came, the government froze the use of copper, and
the solar water heater industry came to an abrupt halt.
Solar water heating took off again after the war, but
cheap electric rates, combined with aggressive sales of
electric water heaters by the utilities, stymied new growth.
The once thriving Floridian solar water heater industry was
reduced to a small service business by 1955.
The two oil embargoes of the 1970s encouraged new
interest in solar water heating. Subsequent sharp drops in
fossil fuel prices, combined with the end of tax credits for
purchasing solar water heaters, once again put a damper on
the American solar water heater industry.
Ahead of Us
Other parts of the world have enthusiastically embraced
Baileys invention. Millions of Japanese have purchased
solar water heaters. More than ninety percent of Israelis heat
William J. Bailey, founder of the Day and Night
Solar Heater Company.
Baileys patent for the first solar water heater to separate
heating from storage. Filed in 1909, it closely resembles
most solar water heaters used today.
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solar history
their water with the sun. In Europe, so many people use
solar water heaters like the Day and Night design that they
save the equivalent of the energy produced by five large
nuclear power plants. Most never imagined that the
technology they use dates back so far and comes from
California!
Access
John Perlin, 102 North Hope Ave., #80, Santa Barbara, CA
93110 805-569-2740 johnperlin@cox.net
This article is adapted from A Golden Thread: 2500 Years of
Solar Architecture and Technology, by John Perlin and Ken
Butti, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1980. Out of print,
but check used book stores.
All images Courtesy of: Perlin/Butti Solar Historical
Archive Collection
Day and Night branches out from southern California
to Arizona as this 1914 advertisement documents.
"This book is the solar
thermal contractor's bible!"
SOLAR HOT WATER SYSTEMS:
1977 to Today
LESSONS LEARNED
--by Tom Lane --
FINALLY, a definitive how-to book
for installing and maintaining
high-performance and low-maintenance
solar hot water systems!
Tom Lane is a pioneer and innovator in the solar energy
field. In this landmark 200-page book, he outlines how
the latest technology and valuable lessons learned from
the past can help a new generation of solar contractors
expand their businesses and satisfy their customers.
SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS COVERED INCLUDE:
- Detailed system CAD drawings - Each system with
manufacturer's components - Drainback - Closed loop
glycol - Single and double pumped - Open loop -
Passive ICS and thermosyphon - System testing and
monitoring - Solar space heating and hot water system -
Collector and storage sizing - Roofing and flashing -
Manufacturer's component access - Heat exchangers
BONUS: Special solar pool-heating section!
DOWNLOAD NOW
Preview before you buy.
Download Table of Contents
and Chapter 2 ("Drainback Systems") at:
www.ecs-solar.com
Order online (ecs-solar.com) or send check or money order to:
ENERGY CONSERVATION SERVICES
6120 SW 13th St. - Gainesville, FL 32608
Or, provide credit card & shipping info to:
(352) 377-8866 - Tom@ecs-solar.com
Color edition: ___ copies @ $50 each = $______
Black & white edition: ___ copies @ $34 each = $______
Shipping & handling: $ 4.00
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69
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home power 100 / april & may 2004
The Sun
(Almost) Everything You Always Wanted to Know
but Were Afraid to Ask
Bob Yoesle
2004 Bob Yoesle
I first became interested in astronomy when, as a small boy of six or seven, I
looked through my godfathers telescope at the first quarter Moons surface. The
mountains and craters stood out in unbelievably stark relief, and I was hooked!
With my first telescope, I viewed the Sun and its spots as they grew and evolved
on a daily basis. Each day, I would draw a picture of the Sun and track the spots as
they rotated across the Suns surface, just as Galileo did almost 400 years earlier.
Throughout the years and successively larger and larger telescopes, I have stayed
with observing the nearest star for its ever-changing details. (It may also have
something to do with the fact that as I get older, its harder to stay up all night!) The
incredible detail that can be seen on the Sun is unique. With no other star can we
actually observe surface details such as sunspots, flares, and prominences, which at
times can change on a minute-by-minute basis.
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Prominences dance off of the Suns surface.
Prominences are huge clouds of relatively cool, dense plasma
suspended in the Suns hot, thin corona.
The Suns mass is 200,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
tons, or about 329,000 times the Earths. The Sun accounts
for 99 percent of the mass of the entire solar system, and is
composed of 92.1 percent hydrogen, 7.8 percent helium, and
0.1 percent of most remaining elements. The Suns total
energy output, or luminosity, is 3.9 x 10
23
kilowatts. The Sun
radiates 13 million times the annual energy consumption of
the United States every second. In one thousandth of a
second, the Sun radiates enough energy to supply the entire
worlds current energy needs for 5,000 years. One square
inch (6.5 cm
2
) of the Suns surface is as bright as a 90,000
watt incandescent light bulb (or a 22,500 watt compact
fluorescent).
The Sun is one of the more than 200 billion stars in the
Milky Way Galaxy, one of a hundred billion galaxies in the
visible universe. The Sun orbits the center of the galaxy,
27,000 light-years away, once every 230 million years, at a
speed of 670,000 mph (1.08 million kph).
Photosphere
The visible surface of the Sun is called the photosphere.
It is composed of a thin gas, less than 0.01 percent of the
density of the Earths atmosphere at sea level. It has a
temperature of about 6,000C (11,000F). Light from the
photosphere is generated by the energy released when the
I share my enthusiasm for
astronomy and the Sun at gatherings
of amateur astronomersstar
parties held in the Northwestand
more recently at renewable energy
fairs, where I use sunlight to power
the tracking motors of my solar
telescopes to view the Sun.
Most people at renewable energy
fairs are blown away by the ability to
view the Sun safely, and the ability to
see sunspots and prominences. I hope
they leave with a little of the same
awe and wonder I have at the
incredible power of the Sun from
experiencing it firsthand through the
telescopes.
Fire of Life
The Earth orbits the Sun at just the
right distance to power the cycle of
life, allowing it to thrive. It is neither
too close nor too far, too cold or too
hot; this balance permits liquid water
to exist and, therefore millions of
species of plants and animals to
flourish. The Sun warms the oceans
and air, lifting water into the sky and
causing the winds that push the
clouds over the continents, where the
water falls as rain and snow, which
then flows through streams, lakes,
and rivers back into the seas.
The Sun directly and indirectly provides most of the
energy used by people today. Fossil fuelsburied plants
that long ago perished after using sunlight to make sugars
now provide much of the energy (often wasted) that drives
our society. Newer and more efficient technologies,
however, with far less damaging environmental effects, are
allowing us to use sunlight and wind directly to generate
electricity. Ancient civilizations recognized the importance
of the Sun in their religions, and even today we relate good
health to a suntan (false) and a sunny disposition (true).
Solar Vital Statistics in Perspective
The Sun is an average star, except for the fact that it is very
close, about 92.8 million miles (150 million km) away from
Earth. The next closest star, Alpha Centauri, is 25 trillion miles
(40 trillion km) away. If you could drive to the Sun at 65 mph
(105 kph), it would take a mere 163 years. Driving to Alpha
Centauri would take longer50 million years.
The Suns diameter is 865,000 miles (1.39 million km),
109 times the Earths. Over a million Earths could fit inside
the Sun. The size-distance relationship between the Earth
and Sun can be visualized as a model where the Sun is a 2
foot (0.6 m) diameter beach ball, and the Earth is a small pea
215 feet (65.5 m) away. On this scale, Alpha Centauri would
lie more than 10,000 miles (16,100 km) away.
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Convective Zone
Radiative
Zone
Core
Sunspot
Photosphere
Coronal Hole Chromosphere
Corona
Flare
Prominence
Image courtesy of NASA
A topical and cutaway diagram of the Sun.
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thermonuclear conversion of hydrogen into helium takes
place deep in the Suns core.
The core has a density 45 times that of steel and a
pressure of 3.3 billion tons per square inch. Yet it remains
gaseous because the temperature is 15.5 million degrees
Celsius. This tremendous temperature and pressure results
in the fusion of hydrogen into helium, which as a byproduct
converts about 4.5 million tons of matter per second into
energy in the form of gamma radiation.
Over the next 170,000 years, this radiation undergoes
untold billions of collisions in the radiative zone, where it
loses energy. This energy helps heat gases in the next level,
known as the convective zone, and eventually leaves the
Sun as x-rays, ultraviolet, visible, and infrared light, and
even radio waves. This light then takes just 8 minutes to
traverse the 93 million miles (150 million km) to the Earth.
The major features visible on the photosphere are
sunspots, regions where powerful magnetic fields erupt
Warning: It is extremely important that you never look
directly at the Sun without proper filtration, especially
with any type of optical instrument. Instantaneous
and permanent eye damage can occur. My telescopes
are equipped with specialized filters to enable safe
observation of the Sun.
Unlike faint stars, nebulas, and galaxies, which require
larger telescopes to be seen in better detail, the Sun is
so close, big, and bright that almost any telescope,
binocular, or spotting scope can be used to view its
surface and sunspots, provided it is properly filtered to
reduce the tremendous brightness prior to sunlight
entering the scope.
Some cheap department store telescopes come with
an inexpensive dark-glass filter used by welders. It sits
near the eyepiece end of the telescopeafter sunlight
has entered and is concentrated to a focused beam.
These should never be used. They can crack from the
intense heat (mine did!), and permanent blindness will
result if you happen to be looking through the
telescope at the time. If you have one of these filters,
throw it away and get a filter for the entry end of the
telescope.
White Light Filters
Most full-spectrum or white light solar filters consist
of a piece of polished glass or thin plastic film coated
with layers of vacuum-deposited metals such as steel,
chromium, or aluminum, mounted on a cover that fits
over the end of the telescope tube.
These filters reflect 99.99 percent of the Suns light and
heat away before it even enters the telescope, and allow
unlimited safe viewing of the Suns surface detail. These
can usually be purchased from amateur astronomy
equipment dealers for about US$50 to $200, depending
on the size of the telescope being used.
My favorite white light solar filter is made by the
Baader Planetarium in Germany. It is a thin-film type of
filter, is very reasonably priced, and can be purchased
in small sheets for you do-it-yourselfers, or ready to
go in an aluminum cell that fits over the end of your
telescopes tube. It is available from Kendrick Astro
Instruments in Canada and AstroPhysics, Inc. in the
United States. It is very important to make sure that
whatever filter you use is securely fastened to the
telescope, so that a sudden gust of wind or curious
hands cannot remove the filter while the Sun is being
observed!
Hydrogen Alpha Light Filters
To view the Suns chromosphere in hydrogen-alpha
light requires a much more sophisticated filter that
removes every color (wavelength) of light from the
solar spectrum except an ultra-thin slice of ruby-red
colored light where hydrogen gas glows at 20,000C
(36,000F).
These narrow band interference filters consist of
precisely spaced and extremely flat layers of special
glass coated with exotic materials. The manufacture
of these filters is more of an art than a science. So
they are very expensive, starting at about US$500
for an entry level hydrogen alpha (HA) filter to more
than US$6,000 for a top-of-the line model. These
filters are usually made in small batches, and can
take up to several months to obtain after an order
has been placed.
HA filters are available from the Coronado Instrument
Group and the DayStar Filter Corporation. I have used
HA filters from both companies, and both work very
well. The Coronado filters are a bit easier to configure
for a particular telescope, with the tradeoff that they
are more expensive than the DayStars. The DayStars
also require a US$300 to $400 refurbishment every
five to ten years of use, so in the end, the long-term
costs of the two filters are about the same. My current
favorite is the Coronado Solar Max 90, which offers
incredible views of solar prominences and flares and
details of the chromosphere. It is ideal for telescopes
of 4 inches or larger in aperture.
Viewing the Sun
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through the Suns surface. The Suns magnetic field
originates in the convective zone (lying just below the
photosphere) where hot ionized (electrically charged) gas or
plasma rises and falls, creating electrical currents and
accompanying magnetic fields. Being gaseous, the Sun
rotates once in 25 days at the equator, but takes more than 35
days at the poles. This differential rotation twists and
stretches the Suns internal magnetic fields, until they
eventually break the surface.
Sunspots appear dark only because these intense
magnetic fields inhibit the transfer of energy from below
and the sides, and consequently they are about 4,000C
(7,000F), which is 2,000C cooler than the photosphere. The
number of sunspots visible varies over an 11-year sunspot
cycle, during which time the Suns overall magnetic field
reverses from one hemisphere to the other.
Sunspots can vary in size from several hundred miles
to many times larger than the Earth, and generally can be
found in sunspot groups up to hundreds of thousands of
miles long. These groups usually have two main regions
of opposite magnetic polarity, with most of the spots
within the group demonstrating similar magnetic
characteristics.
Most individual sunspots survive for just a few days,
while the larger groups may last for several weeks to a few
months. Sunspots generally consist of a dark central portion
known as the umbra, and a lighter surrounding portion
known as the penumbra.
Under ideal atmospheric conditions, you may also be
able to see granulation, a very fine graininess of the entire
photosphere. Granulation defines convection cells, regions
where hot gas rises from the solar interior, cools, and then
falls back to the interior. Each granule on the surface of the
Sun is about the size of Texas.
You may also be able to see faculae, blotched and
irregular regions of brightness that are usually more easily
viewed when contrasted against the decreased brightness of
the solar limb, or edge. Faculae are the brightened sides of
convection cells heated by the energy of locally intense
magnetic fields, and are usually associated with solar active
regions and sunspots.
Chromosphere
Lying next to the photosphere and rising about 1,300
miles (2,100 km) above is the chromosphere. Under high
magnification and excellent atmospheric conditions, 6,200
mile (10,000km) long jet-like spears of gas known as spicules
give the chromosphere the appearance of a burning
prairie. The chromosphere is even less dense than the
photosphere, with a temperature of 20,000C (36,000F).
Often rising out of the chromosphere are luminous
fountains of hydrogen gas known as prominencessome of
the most beautiful and impressive sights to be seen in the
heavens. Prominences are closely associated with solar active
regions and their magnetic fields. Because of the interplay of
these forces, they may assume many shapesarches,
columns, loops, trees, and hedges, in many sizes.
Prominences can surge spaceward at speeds up to one
million mph (1.6 million kph), and then stream downward
towards the Suns surface. Or they can remain almost
Bob Yoesle shows a renewable energy fair-goer how to safely
view the Sun through his Celestron C102, PV powered
telescope with special filters.
Approx. size of Earth
Sunspots, seen as darker spots on the Suns surface,
are cooler regions of plasma.
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motionless in the Suns atmosphere (the corona) like
luminous clouds for a few hours or as long as six to eight
months (a quiescent prominence). Prominences are fainter
than the chromosphere itself, and when silhouetted against
it, they appear as shadowy ribbons known as filaments.
Also directly linked to solar active regions are flares.
Flares are usually smaller than prominences, but are
tremendously more energetically explosive eruptions of
plasma and subatomic particles and radiation, releasing as
much energy as several billion H-bombs. They are caused
by interacting and collapsing magnetic fields, and appear as
rapidly brightening jets or irregular patches around solar
active regionssometimes resembling lightningand can
last from a few minutes to several hours, and travel at
speeds up to 2.5 million mph (4.0 million kph).
Following a strong solar flare, the Earth may also be
exposed to a greatly intensified solar wind two or three days
later, and this can result in displays of auroras (northern or
southern lights). The largest solar flares can produce radio
and electricity disruptions, and the radiation released could
prove fatal to any astronauts outside of the Earths
protective magnetic field.
Corona
Beyond the chromosphere lies the Suns atmosphere, the
corona, usually visible only during a total solar eclipse. This
extremely tenuous gas is heated to more than 1 million
degrees Celsius by intense radiation constrained in the
magnetic fields emanating from the solar active regions.
Lower density regions of the corona, the coronal holes, are
where most of the solar wind (mostly protons and electrons)
originates. It is constrained to flow outward by the Suns
magnetic field at about 470 miles (760 km) per second.
Because the Suns magnetic field rotates with the Sun itself,
the solar wind flows outward in a spiral pattern, much like
the pattern of water drops from a rotating sprinkler.
Past & Future
The first stars were born from pure hydrogen and
helium created when the universe burst forth from the Big
Bang 14 billion years ago. Heavier elements were produced
in their cores, as well as when massive stars exploded in
super novas.
The Sun is a second or third generation star born from a
rotating interstellar cloud of gas and dust that collapsed
about 5 billion years ago out of the remains of these
previous stars, and the hydrogen and helium of the big
bang. The planetsincluding Earthare the leftover debris
from these ancient eventswe are all children of the stars.
The Sun has existed in its present state for about the last
4.5 billion years, and has converted about 37 percent of its
available hydrogen into helium. However, as the Sun
continues to fuse hydrogen into helium, its core will shrink
and become hotter. At the same time, the Suns surface will
become brighter, and over the next 500 million years, this
will have catastrophic effects on the Earths climate and
atmosphere. Within 3 billion years, the oceans will boil away
and Earth will become completely uninhabitable.
In another 7 billion years most of the hydrogen in the
core will be depleted, and the Sun will begin to fuse helium
into heavier elements. The increased temperature of the core
will cause the outer layers of the Sun to expand to 170 times
its present size, beyond the orbit of Mercury and Venus,
vaporizing both planets. The Earths atmosphere will be
completely stripped away and its surface will melt. The Sun
will then be in its red-giant phase and 2,300 times its current
brightness, which will substantially warm the frozen outer
planets of the solar systemtemporarily.
Telescope Specs
White light telescope: Celestron C102, 4 inch f-10
refractor
White light solar filter: Baader Solar Filter
This 4 inch refractor telescope is equipped with a
full-aperture, white light, metal-on-Mylar filter. It
provides a view of the Sun in all visible colors of
light, although greatly reduced in brightness.
Features that can be seen in white light are
sunspots, faculae, and solar granulation.
Hydrogen alpha telescope: Celestron C102, 4 inch,
f-10 refractor or Astrophysics 130 EDT, 5 inch, f-8
refractor
Hydrogen alpha solar filter: Coronado Solar Max
90-BF30
This 4 inch refractor telescope is equipped with a
sophisticated hydrogen alpha or HA narrow-
band interference filter. It provides a view of the
Sun in essentially one wavelength (color) of light,
the glowing deep-red light of very hot hydrogen
gas. Features that can be seen in HA light are
flares, prominences, and filaments.
Fusion Power Is Here Today
The telescope mountings electric drive system
(which tracks the Sun by compensating for the
Earths rotation), is powered by a 12 volt battery that
is recharged by a photovoltaic (PV) module. This
panel uses the energy of sunlight (photons) to
displace electrons in an array of specially treated
silicon wafers, which produces an electric current
that charges the battery.
Telescope mount and accessories: Losmandy G-11
Battery: Kendrick PowerPack 12 V, 33 AH sealed
battery
Charge controller: Specialty Concepts ASC 12
PV panel: BP 250F 2F, 50 W
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sun science
The red-giant phase will last for only a few million
years, and once the Sun has fused lighter elements into
carbon and oxygen, its energy will be depleted and
gravity will slowly begin the Suns final collapse. The Sun
will have expelled great shells of matter, while the
remaining coreabout one-half the Suns current mass
will finally contract to about the size of the Earth and
become a white-dwarf star of extraordinary density,
where a mere teaspoon of its degenerate matter will weigh
more than 5 tons.
Over untold eons, the Sun will slowly radiate the last
of its heat into space, becoming a cold dead cinder of
extremely dense crystallized carbon and other elements.
The Suns outer remainsan expanding cloud of gas and
dusteventually will be incorporated into another
interstellar cloud, someday perhaps to be reborn as
another star, and conceivably another generation of
planets. These planets too may give rise to life, possibly
even living beings who may wonder about the nature of
their sun, the stars, and the astonishingly infinite universe
beyond.
Access
Bob Yoesle, PO Box 170, Bickleton, WA99322
509-896-2624 ryoesle@bentonrea.com
Celestron, 2835 Columbia St., Torrance, CA90503
310-328-9560 Fax: 310-212-5835 mtraxler@celestron.com
www.celestron.com Telescopes and accessories
Losmandy-Hollywood General Machining, 1033 Sycamore
Ave., Los Angeles, CA90038 323-462-2855 Fax:
323-462-2682 scott@losmandy.com www.losmandy.com
Telescope mount: G-11 German equatorial
Coronado Solar Filters, 1674 South Research Loop Suite
436, Tucson, AZ 85710 866-786-9282 or 520-740-1561
Fax: 520-624-5083 info@coronadofilters.com
www.coronadofilters.com Hydrogen alpha filter: Solar
Max 90, CEMAX eyepieces
Astro-Physics Telescopes, 11250 Forrest Hills Rd.,
Rockford, IL 61115 815-282-1513 Fax: 815-282-9847
info@astro-physics.com www.astro-physics.com
Telescope optics: AP 130 EDT 5 inch refractor White light
filter: Baader AstroSolar Material
BP Solar, 989 Corporate Blvd. Linthicum, MD 21090
888-274-7652 or 410-981-0240 Fax: 410-981-0278
custhelp@bpsolar.com www.bpsolar.com BP 250F 2F 50
watt PV panel
Specialty Concepts, 8954 Mason Ave., Chatsworth, CA
91311 800-853-7861 or 818-998-5238 Fax: 818-998-5253
speccon@earthlink.net www.specialtyconcepts.com
ASC 12 charge controller
Kendrick Astro Instruments, 2920 Dundas St. West,
Toronto, ON M6P 1Y8 Canada 800-393-5456 or
416-762-7946 Fax: 416-762-2765 kendrick@kendrick-
ai.com www.kendrick-ai.com PowerPack 12 V, 33 AH
sealed battery White light filter: Baader AstroSolar
material
DayStar Filters, 3857 Schaefer Ave. Suite D, Chino, CA
91710 909-591-4673 Fax: 909-591-6886
www.daystarfilters.com Hydrogen alpha interference
filters
www.spaceweather.com Science news and information
about the sun-earth environment. Great Web site updated
daily and full of information about current and past solar
activity, eclipses, meteor showers, and auroras, with links
to many other informative Web sites.
Nearest Star: The Surprising Science of Our Sun, Leon Golub
& Jay M. Pasachoff, 2001, Paperback, 286 pages, ISBN
0-674-01006-X, US$16.95 from Harvard University Press, 79
Garden St., Cambridge, MA02138 800-405-1619 or
401-531-2800 Fax: 800-406-9145 or 401-531-2801
Contact_HUP@harvard.edu www.hup.harvard.edu
Introduction aimed at the general reader
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the Sun, Kenneth R. Lang,
2001, Hardcover, 268 pages, ISBN 0521780934 US$50
from Cambridge University Press, 40 West 20th St., New
York, NY 10011 212-924-3900 Fax: 212-691-3239
information@cup.org www.cambridge.org Reference
aimed at the general reader
The Sun: An Introduction, Michael Stix, 2002, Hardcover, 506
pages, ISBN 3-540-42886-0, US$89.95 from Springer-Verlag
New York, Inc., 175 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10010
This picture taken on April 18, 2003, from the SOHO satellite,
shows prominences, flares, and magnetic loops.
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g
e

c
o
u
r
t
e
s
y

o
f

N
A
S
A
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home power 100 / april & may 2004
sun science
800-SPRINGER or 212-460-1500 Fax: 212-473-6272
service@springer-ny.com www.springer-ny.com
Advanced reference aimed at college physics students
Observing the Sun, Peter O. Taylor, 1992, Hardcover, 173
pages, ISBN 0521401100, US$40 from Cambridge
University Press (see above) Beginning to intermediate
amateur observer
Solar Observing Techniques, Chris Kitchin, 2002, Paperback,
218 pages, ISBN 1-85233-035-X, US$44.95 from Springer-
Verlag, (see above) Beginning to intermediate amateur
observer
Solar Astronomy Handbook, Beck, Hilbrecht, Reinsch, Volker,
1995, Hardcover, 546 pages, ISBN 0-943396-47-6, US$29.95
from Volker, Willmann-Bell, PO Box 35025, Richmond, VA
23235 804-320-7016 Fax: 804-272-5920
www.willbell.com Intermediate to advanced amateur
observer
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home power 100 / april & may 2004
Code Book
Used In: Building and construction trades throughout the United States
AKA: Code, the code
What It Is: A written set of standards that gives the minimum
requirements for all types of building construction projects, usually in
the areas of health and safety, as opposed to operation and efficiency
What It Aint: Used in conjunction with a Captain Marvel decoder ring
Code books are published to standardize the quality of work done by
building tradespeople and the equipment and material they install. Over
forty states and every metro area in the United States have adopted one
or more of the major codes. This is what gives the code books their clout.
Many states and municipalities, in addition to adopting the national
codes, have published their own local codes. Codes are primarily
concerned with standards for the work performed by tradespeople
(carpenters, electricians, plumbers, solar installers, etc.)
The major codes and their spheres of influence are:
The NECNational Electrical CodeElectrical wiring, safety devices,
and equipment
The UPCUniform Plumbing CodeSupply, waste, and vent piping in
buildings and building sewers
The UMCUniform Mechanical CodeHeating, ventilation, air
conditioning, and refrigeration equipment
The UBCUniform Building CodeThe code for general contractors
covers structural requirements and general building standards
The USECUniform Solar Energy CodeThis code applies only to
solar thermal equipment. Photovoltaic work is incorporated in Article
690 of the NEC
For the most part, code books are tough to read and have so many
gray areas that they spawn other sources of info to help interpret the dull
reading. For example, regular Code Corner columns in Home Power help
to make sense out of the NEC.
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home power 100 / april & may 2004
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home power 100 / april & may 2004
Application:Two Solar Energy International
(SEI) workshops installed these battery watering systems
on installation projects in our area in the past two years,
and recently my family installed one on our homes
battery bank.
System: The first SEI workshop system uses
eight Interstate L-16 batteries. The second SEI workshop
system uses four Deka industrial batteries. The watering
systems for these banks use pump sprayers to hold and
pressurize the distilled water. My home system uses eight
Dyno L-16 batteries, and a 5 gallon jug for a gravity-feed
reservoir.
If you have flooded (not sealed) batteries, battery
maintenance is critical to the success of your renewable
energy (RE) system. (Sealed batteries do not need watering,
but they are more expensive and typically dont last as
long.) Most people say that the weakest part of RE systems
is the batteries, but clearly the weakest part is the owners.
Im a case in point. In a classic case of the cobblers children
not having shoes, I do not check on my battery water
frequently enough. Its really not that terrible of a chore, but
for some reason I tend to put it off.
My view is that anything you can do to make battery
maintenance easier and to get it done is worth the price.
Build your battery box so that the battery tops are at a
comfortable heightthen you wont have to break your
back to get at them. Make sure you have full standing room
in front of your batteries. Build a sloping lid on your battery
box so you cant pile stuff on top of it. And add a single-
point watering system to your battery bank.
Until recently, these systems have mostly been used in
large, industrial battery banks. But small home system
owners are getting wise to what the big system owners have
known for yearssingle-point watering systems make
battery watering a snap.
In the old days (pre-watering system), I had to get a
flashlight, funnel, and a jug of water. I had to remove each
cap, check the level with the flashlight, pour some water in
through the funnel, and check again. I had to do this for all
24 cells in my bank, and after I finished, electrolyte levels
still varied. Occasionally I overflowed a cell, which is not a
good idea. The whole process took perhaps 20 to 30
minutes, plus the time to get set up and cleaned up.
With a one-point watering system, I can water a bank of
eight L-16s in less than a minute. Need I say more?
Installation & Operation
The watering systems weve used were imported from
Germany by Battery Filling Systems of the Americas (BFS),
and purchased from All Battery Systems in Everett,
Washington, our local Interstate Battery distributor. Vern
and Tom Allen of All Battery have been very helpful with
SEI workshops for a number of years, speaking to our
groups, supplying batteries and equipment, and answering
Single-Point Watering System
Ian Woofenden
2004 Ian Woofenden
Battery Filling Systems
of the Americas
Close-up of a BFS cap
and float, with the lid
lifted. On the left is the
hydrometer access
hole, and on the right
is the level indicaor.
83
www.homepower.com
our many questions. The watering systems they supply
come with all the components except the pressure tank or
reservoir.
The first step in the installation process is to remove the
old battery caps and replace them with the BFS caps. Small
pieces of clear tubing are then installed, running from cap to
cap. The system comes with collars that clamp the tubing to
the cap fittings, and a tool to help you push the collars in
place. Smaller battery banks can be plumbed in one series
run. We chose to split our battery bank into two parallel
tubing runs to speed filling.
A flow meter shows you that water is flowing in the
system, and a quick-release setup allows you to disconnect
the system from the water source when its not in use. We
added a valve to our system, for convenience.
The two SEI systems use portable garden sprayers for a
distilled water reservoir and for pressurizing. To use the
system, you pump the sprayer up to pressure, and water
flows into the cells. For our battery bank, we opted for a
gravity-fed system. When its time to water, I lift our 5
gallon (19 l) reservoir up onto a shelf just above the battery
bank and leave it for an hour or so.
It probably wouldnt be a problem to leave it up there all
the time, but Im not set up with a winterized space for the
reservoir yet. The distributor does not recommend leaving
the system under significant pressure, so we either release
the pressure from the pump sprayers when were done
watering, or disconnect the quick release.
Smart Cap
The battery cap used in the BFS system has multiple
functions. A plastic float rides down in the battery and is
pushed up by the electrolyte. When the level is correct (you
need to buy the right floats for your battery and electrolyte
level), the float turns off a valve in the cap, preventing water
from flowing into that cell. The cap allows water to flow on
to cells farther along in the string.
Built into the cap is a white indicator button that rises up
with the float, so you can see at a glance whether a cell is full
Kevin Green waters the battery bank in his SEI-installed system
quickly, accurately, and conveniently.
One-point watering system on a string of industrial batteries.
84
home power 100 / april & may 2004
REview
or not. A flip top exposes a hydrometer access hole, so you
can still check specific gravity, and without removing the
caps! The cap is quite sophisticated, with hydrogen and
water flows separated, so no hydrogen gas can get into the
tubing system, and a special chamber helps remove water
from escaping gases, reducing the watering interval.
Problems? We have not had any so far. Of course,
anything can fail. But the worst-case scenarios with this
system look better than with the previous (human) system.
The only potential problems I can see are if the valves stick,
and the manufacturer has done a great deal of engineering
to avoid this. The corrosive gases are isolated from the water
channel, and Im told that sticking valves are not a problem.
Ive checked the water level on the systems weve installed
and all are just right. Replacing a bad cap would be a simple
operation if it was ever necessary.
At about US$16 per cell, the system is not cheap up front,
but I think its a better buy than hydrogen recombining caps.
BFS caps can be left in place for the life of the battery bank,
and the system can easily be removed and reinstalled when
you replace your battery bank. No removal for equalization
or watering is ever necessary.
To me, this system looks like all benefit and no
drawback. No more overfilling or underfilling; no more
contamination; less procrastination. Battery watering is a
quick, simple, and exact operation. Even a battery cobbler
like me can handle a solution like this!
Access
Reviewer: Ian Woofenden, PO Box 1001, Anacortes, WA
98221 ian.woofenden@homepower.com
Importer: Battery Filling Systems of the Americas, 5723
Country Club Rd. Suite B, Winston-Salem, NC 27104
336-946-0895 Fax: 336-946-0897
Master Distributor for Renewable Energy Industry: All
Battery Sales & Service, 727 134th St. SW, Everett, WA
98204 800-562-3212 or 425-743-7677 Fax: 425-742-1739
vern@allbatterysalesandservice.com
High Points:
Easy, quick battery watering
No removal of caps for equalization
Exact level fill; no over and underfilling
No contamination of cells
Low Point:
Cost
List Price: US$15.95 per cell for complete
system
Warranty: 2 years
The authors watering system uses gravity feed.

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Battery Filling
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Home Power Magazine
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home power 100 / april & may 2004
Money
from the Sun
An Investors Guide to
Solar-Electric Profits
t happened quietly. On an ordinary day, a few years after the end of the last
century, solar-electric energy became cheaper than fossil fuel energy. There
were no great celebrations, no dancing in the streets, no discussion or mention
in the news. The fossil fuel age has begun its decline, and the too-long-delayed
renewable energy age is ready to supplant it.
Of course, photovoltaic (PV) energy has been
economical for many years and in many situationsin
remote areas where fossil fuels are not readily available,
where the fossil energy utility grid does not reach, or in
nations that do not control adequate supplies of fossil fuels.
What happened recently is different, and has much more
far-reaching consequences. It is becoming less expensive for
us in the Sunbelt of the southwestern United States to power
our homes and businesses with energy that is generated on-
site by a solar-electric system than it is to purchase fossil fuel
energy from the utility.
This is not to say that everyone can generate all of their
electricity and do it economically. But, if your system is
sized and sited properly, you are working within a
comprehensive energy management plan, and if a number
of other factors converge, then a small investment in
supplemental solar-electric energy generation for your
home or enterprise can exceed the
average, long-term real return of the
stock market.
In more than fifteen years as a
software engineer, I performed a
multitude of roles, including
designer, developer, system and
information architect, systems
analyst, network engineer, project
and program manager, human
factors specialist, author, and
publisher. Several years ago,
becoming disillusioned with the
extravagances of the software
industry, I returned to my roots as an
electrical engineer and began to
explore the fascinating world of
renewable energy and sustainable
living. To convince myself that
pursuing a career in renewable
energy would not just benefit society but would also
support my family, I began to examine the economics of
solar energy. I had to prove to myself that renewable energy
would pay.
Fundamentals
To understand how to profit from solar-electric energy
generation, you can perform a competitive investment
analysis (CIA) between traditional investments, say, in the
stock market or in treasury bills, and an investment in a
solar-electric system. The fundamental question of this
analysis is, If I have a sum of money to invest today, can I
expect a higher return with traditional investments or with
an investment in a supplemental solar-electric energy
system?
The analysis shows that generating your own solar-
electric energy is often the better investment. The factors
1,000 to 1,500
1,500 to 2,000
2,000 to 2,500
2,500 to 3,000
3,000 to 3,500
3,500 to 4,000
4,000 to 4,500
4,500 to 5,000
5,000 to 5,500
5,500 to 6,000
6,000 to 6,500
6,500 to 7,000
7,000 to 7,500
Whr / Sq. Inch
Per Day
Solar insolation map of the continental United States.
Map courtesy of NREL
Paul Symanski
2004 Paul Symanski
87
www.homepower.com
investing in solar
of this analysis come from five areasnatural resource
assessment, technology, energy consumption, economics,
and policy.
Natural Resource Assessment
The first factor to consider is the energy that the sun
provides us. The insolation map shows the amount of solar
radiation that is received throughout the United States.
Obviously, the Southwest has a great natural resource in
the sun. To perform an accurate analysis, we need solar
radiation data for each month throughout the year. The
National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB) can be found at
the Renewable Resource Data Center (RReDC). For this
analysis, the data is found in The Solar Radiation Data Manual
for Flat-Plate and Concentrating Collectors. (See Access.)
From this data, we can determine how much energy an
unshaded array of solar-electric modules will receive in a
specific location. We can then calculate how much energy
the array will produce throughout the year. For example, see
the table on page 89. It shows the average daily equivalent
peak sun hours and production for an array of modules in
Phoenix, Arizona.
Technology
Solar-electric energy systems consist of two basic
typesthose connected to the utility and those that operate
independently of the utility. These are referred to as grid-
tied (or utility-tied) and off-grid systems, respectively.
Some grid-tied systems include energy storage for when the
utility is down. Others operate only when the utility is
operating.
For my analysis, I focused on systems that are connected
to the grid and have no storage component. If you are
fortunate to be in a region where true net metering (i.e. your
electric meter spins in both directions) is provided, you
already have the perfect storage if backup is not needed. An
investment in a solar-electric energy system of any size can
then earn a maximum return, up to the amount of energy
that is consumed.
Today, most solar-electric modules are warranted for 25
years. Many first generation modules are still generating
significant output after 35 years. For this analysis, a 20-year
period is considered. In a batteryless grid-tied system, the one
component that is subject to failure is the inverter. Repair costs
for inverters are incorporated into the analysis, as are
additional insurance costs for the entire system. The good
news is that inverters of the latest generation may be far more
durable and reliable than those of the previous generation.
The final element of solar technology to consider is
module degradation. This competitive investment analysis
uses an annual degradation rate of 0.7 percent based on an
NREL white paper. (See Access.)
Energy Consumption
The first aspect to consider when specifying a solar-
electric energy solution is the energy consumption. An
electric load analysis must be performed, and energy
consumption patterns must be considered.
This analysis contains one critical assumption. Either
you have true net metering that is zeroed annually, or in the
absence of this optimal energy storage, all the energy
produced by the PV system is consumed. In other words,
unless you can sell the solar energy you generate at the same
price that you pay for utility energy, dont make it!
Without net metering, to maximize your profit while
also maximizing your energy generation, you must
implement energy management techniques. It is not only
how much energy you use, but how and when you use it. A
solar-electric system generates energy throughout a
consistently sunny day in a smooth fashion. The red and
blue lines in the Energy Production & Consumption for
Phoenix graph (above) are clear-day energy production
profiles of two different sized solar-electric systems.
The irregular, green area shows the daily consumption
profile for a typical, 3,000 square foot (280 m
2
) home in
Phoenix, Arizona. The red area under the taller production
profile represents the excess energy that will be returned to
the public energy grid.
Without true net metering, to accomplish the largest
annual return with the smallest possible system, the
production and consumption curves must match for every
day of the year. The energy consumption curve must be
made smoother. In Arizona, cooling typically demands the
greatest energy, just as it does during the longer summer
days in more northern latitudes. The availability of solar
energy matches this demand. With very little adjustment to
lifestyle, an energy consumer can take a few simple
measures to control how energy is used.
The degree to which the energy generation curve
matches the consumption curve is called a load-matching
factor. A factor of 1.0 indicates that solar-electric generation
meets all energy demand and no energy is returned to the
grid. In lieu of implementing energy management
techniques, the PV system can be sized to fit the daily
energy consumption profile. This smaller system generates
the shorter energy production profile in the graph.
Energy Production &
Consumption for Phoenix
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Time
Excess Energy Consumption
Large System Production Smaller System Production
K
i
l
o
w
a
t
t
s
88
home power 100 / april & may 2004
investing in solar
Economics
The time value of money is critical to our analysis.
Whether my utility bill is paid monthly or annually is just as
important as how often my interest is compounded. All the
rates in the analysis are effective rates adjusted for relevant
periods and based on nominal annual percentage rates.
Traditional Investments
Since 1926, the average, long-term annual rate of return
on large company stocks has been 10.2 percent. However,
over this same period, the rate of inflation has been 3.05
percent. Therefore, the real rate of return on large company
stocks has been 7.15 percent. The Traditional Investment
Growth graph shows the growth of an investment at 7.15
percent over twenty years with interest payments being
reinvested. An initial capital investment of US$3,250 earns
US$10,500 in accumulated interest in twenty years. Not bad!
Unfortunately, something is missing.
Taxes
Savings on utility bills are like post-tax income. This is a
critical point for this analysis: you pay taxes on interest
income; you dont pay taxes on money you save.
Currently, the capital gains tax rate stands at 15 percent,
lowered from its previous rate of 20 percent on May 28,
2003. I used the current rate in my analysis. I ignored
eligibility, brackets, effective dates, sunset provisions, and
other capital gains tax complexities. The long-term annual
return on large company stocks thus becomes 5.65 percent.
The lower curve in Traditional Investment Growth
represents the return on investment after capital gains taxes
are subtracted.
An important aspect of the analysis is the point at
which interest earnings match the original investment.
This is when your earnings have doubled. For capital
expenditures, this is known as simple payback. Before
taxes, at 7.15 percent, this occurs at month 110 (9 years, 2
months). After taxes, this occurs at month 130 (10 years, 10
months)!
Solar Investment
Question: If you were to take the savings realized from
the lower energy bills resulting from the on-site generation
of solar-electric energy, invest those savings at the same rate
as the traditional investment, and reinvest any interest
earned just as we do for traditional investments, how would
the two alternative investments compare?
In this analysis, the interest earnings on the reinvested
savings realized from on-site solar-electric generation are
taxed at the capital gains rate, just as are the earnings on the
traditional investment. The practical issues of brokerage
fees are not considered as part of this analysis.
Before the returns can be compared, another key factor
must be understoodutility rate schedules. By
understanding rate schedules, you can calculate your avoided
costs. The utility energy that you avoid consuming by
replacing it with solar-electric energy is typically the most
expensive energy that you purchase from the utility. The
Monthly Production and Consumption table is an example of
monthly consumption for a residence in Phoenix, Arizona.
The savings realized from on-site solar-electric
generation can be calculated with knowledge of the
monthly energy consumption, the avoided costs (including
sales taxes, regulatory fees, etc.), and the amount of energy
provided by the PV system. For example, the system
illustrated in the table offsets 22.5 percent of the peak usage
during the month of May. Since peak usage is charged at a
higher rate than off peak, the savings are significant.
Efficiencies
For a 1 kilowatt array, you might expect that if 4.4 sun
hours per day were available in January, you would achieve
4.4 kilowatt-hours per day from the system. However, no
solar-electric system is 100 percent efficient. For example,
high module temperatures will diminish an arrays
performance. Also, modules do not usually produce the
output that the manufacturers imply by their ratings.
Other factors contribute to the total AC output of the
inverter being lower than the total solar-electric array output
rating. For the calculations in the Monthly Production and
Consumption table, we use monthly overall efficiencies that
give an annual average efficiency of 71 percent. In January
(with a monthly efficiency of 75 percent) the actual daily
kilowatt-hours available from the solar energy system will be
3.3 KWH per m
2
rather than the ideal 4.4 KWH per m
2
.
Without true net metering, if you want to maximize the
return on your investment, you must size the system to
minimize the amount of excess energy produced. The
calculations for our sample home with a solar-electric system
size of 1,000 watts show that we are generating on average
about 20 percent of the monthly on-peak energy needs. Is it
reasonable to assume that this home will consume all the
solar-electric energy it is generating? No, not necessarily.
This Phoenix, Arizona, home has two independent, split
HVAC systems with heat pumps. If these two systems
operate concurrently, the energy demand during that period
will be higher than can be met by the PV system.
Conversely, if neither is running after they have together
Traditional Investment
Growth at 7.15%
$0
$2,000
$4,000
$6,000
$8,000
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Capital
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investing in solar
sufficiently chilled the house, the energy from the PV system
may be wasted (returned to the grid for less than its full
value), if true net metering is not in force. The technique of
load balancing multiple air conditioning systems is perhaps
the best example of the importance of effective energy
management for maximizing the return on an investment in
solar-electric energy generation. Of course, there are many
other energy management techniques, and the effectiveness
of any technique depends on the region and other
interdependent factors.
Policy
Policy dramatically affects the return on investment in
solar-electric energy. Existing policies provide some
important incentives for solar-electric and other forms of
renewable energy. An excellent resource that lists renewable
energy incentives is the Database of State Incentives for
Renewable Energy (DSIRE).
The state of Arizona provides several incentives to
homeowners for solar-electric systems. There is a one-time
tax credit for 25 percent of the cost of a qualifying system
up to a maximum of US$1,000. In addition, PV systems are
exempt from sales taxes in Arizona. Arizona has also
implemented an environmental portfolio standard (EPS),
which includes Arizona Public Service (APS) providing a
rebate of US$4 per DC watt, up to 50 percent of the
installed cost of the system, for small (less than 5 KW),
grid-tied, solar-electric energy systems.
Results
The PV vs. Traditional Investments graph (below) shows
the results of the comparative analysis of on-site solar-
electric generation versus a traditional investment with a
7.15 percent annual return. The installed cost of this system
Consumption Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep.
Oct. Nov. Dec. Annual
Total used 2,923 2,528 1,731 1,618 1,908 2,604 2,434 2,556 2,312 1,396 1,797 3,116 26,923
On-peak 781 600 470 474 793 963 984 1,116 973 473 587 932 9,146
Off-peak 2,142 1,929 1,261 1,144 1,116 1,641 1,450 1,441 1,339 923 1,210 2,184 17,780
Days in billing
period
29 34 28 29 32 30 29 31 28 31 33 32 366
Average daily 100.8 74.4 61.8 55.8 59.6 86.8 83.9 82.5 82.6 45.0 54.5 97.4 73.6
Average daily
on-peak
26.9 17.6 16.8 16.3 24.8 32.1 33.9 36.0 34.8 15.3 17.8 29.1 25.0
Average daily
off-peak
73.9 56.7 45.0 39.4 34.9 54.7 50.0 46.5 47.8 29.8 36.7 68.3 48.6
% On-peak 26.7% 23.7% 27.2% 29.3% 41.6% 37.0% 40.4% 43.7% 42.1% 33.9% 32.7% 29.9% 34.0%
Production*
Average daily
sun hours
4.4 5.4 6.4 7.5 8.0 8.1 7.5 7.3 6.8 6.0 4.9 4.2 6.4
% Seasonal
system
efficiency
75.2% 74.3% 73.3% 71.6% 69.6% 67.5% 66.3% 66.8% 68.1% 70.6% 73.4% 75.1% 71.0%
Adjusted sun
hours available
3.3 4.0 4.7 5.4 5.6 5.5 5.0 4.9 4.6 4.2 3.6 3.2 4.5
Avg. daily on-
peak use
26.9 17.6 16.8 16.3 24.8 32.1 33.9 36.0 34.8 15.3 17.8 29.1 25.0
Remainder on-
peak use
23.6 13.6 12.1 11.0 19.2 26.6 29.0 31.1 30.1 11.0 14.2 26.0 20.5
% Solar on-
peak
12.3% 22.7% 27.9% 32.8% 22.5% 17.0% 14.7% 13.5% 13.3% 27.7% 20.2% 10.8% 18.1%
*1 KW PV system in Phoenix, AZ with a fixed mount facing south at a 20 degree tilt.
Monthly Production & Consumption for Phoenix,
Arizona Residence
Billing Period (Data in KWH unless Otherwise Noted)
$10,000
PV vs. Traditional
Investment at 7.15%
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home power 100 / april & may 2004
investing in solar
is US$6,500 (1,000 watts at US$6.50 per watt). After
incentives, the effective cost is US$2,250.
Utility rates are rising. The Arizona Corporation
Commission (ACC) recently approved a request by APS to
increase rates by 9.8 percent. The price of natural gas, the
fossil fuel that powers the newest generating plants, is
increasing. The ACC also recently approved a so-called
power supply adjuster that allows APS to pass on to
consumers the cost of electricity purchased on the open
market. My analysis includes the 9.8 percent rate increase
and a conservative 2 percent increase in each following year.
More complex factors can be introduced into the
analysis, such as the value of the equipment over time, or a
comparison that includes the value of the original capital.
Inflation has a near equivalent effect on both sides of the
comparison, so it does not need to be considered in
calculations for projected earnings.
Another question often raised regarding on-site solar-
electric energy generation comes from the fact that we live
in a mobile society. What happens to my investment when
I move to a new home in five or ten years? As on-site
solar-electric generation becomes more prevalent, the
value of these systems is becoming better understood and
accorded value just as is a pool, a kitchen upgrade, or
other home improvement. According to the National
Association of the Remodeling Industry and Wells Fargo
Bank, The [increase in home] appreciation ranges from 20
times your expected annual savings to the full cost of the
solar system.
Risks
The return on your investment in home solar-electric
energy generation compares favorably with the average,
long-term return on stock market investments. But what are
the comparative risks? Solar electricity can be considered a
low-risk investment because its return is relatively
predictable.
The PV, No Incentives vs. Treasury Bills graph (above)
shows the results of the comparative analysis of on-site
solar-electric generation without incentives versus treasury
bills as a low-risk investment. The average, long-term return
(before inflation) of treasury bills is 3.79 percent. Remember,
inflation was 3.05 percent over the same period, so the real
rate of return on treasury bills was actually 0.74 percent!
Even without incentives, on-site solar-electric generation is
an extraordinary investment today. Consider your portfolio
diversification strategywhat better low-risk investment
than solar energy?
Many Happy Returns
We have shown that in Arizona and with incentives, the
return on investment in home solar-electric generation is
comparable to the average, long-term return on investment in
the stock market. However, the return for PV generation is
predictable. Therefore, an investment in PV generation may be
considered a low-risk investment. Even when incentives are
excluded, an investment in home solar-electric generation is
comparable to a traditional low-risk investment.
The same analysis can be performed for systems on
commercial or industrial buildings. Even though different
incentives apply, the results are as good or better than for
residential systems, especially when utility energy rates rise.
Rates for commercial and industrial utility customers are
usually higher than for residential customers.
In regions outside the Sunbelt, incentives can result in
comparable returns. An excellent example is New Jersey
where, despite a relatively low natural resource, the
combination of high energy costs and extraordinary
incentives combine to deliver a high return on investment
in on-site solar-electric energy generation. Finally, when
benefits, such as improving the environment, natural
resource conservation, and job creation, are considered as
part of the investment analysis, the return for an
investment in solar-electric generation is immeasurably
better!
As exciting as the return on investment for on-site PV
generation is, the returns for energy management measures
such as efficient lighting, solar domestic hot water, solar
pool heating, etc., can be even greater. When implemented
as a complement to PV generation, these measures increase
the amount of energy that can be profitably generated,
thereby maximizing the initial capital investment and
subsequent returns.
Consequences
The immediate personal reward is that there is money to
be made with on-site solar-electric generation. The scale of
the investment correlates with your energy needs and is a
relatively small investment of capital whether you are a
homeowner, a business owner, or a large institution.
Because of its low-risk nature, on-site solar-electric energy
generation makes an excellent addition to your portfolio
and complements an investment diversification strategy.
With todays low financing rates, now is a good time to
fund capital projects. You can finance a system at a portion
of the expected rate of return for a relatively short initial
period before realizing the full return during the remaining
decades of the systems life.
PV, No Incentives vs.
Treasury Bills
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Solar Treasury Bills Capital
sunelec.com
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investing in solar
On-site solar-electric energy generation can also be an
effective risk management tool, since our aging, fragile,
vulnerable electricity grid is susceptible to disruptions. A
solar-electric energy system can be designed to meet your
energy surety needs. Risk prevention may balance the
greater costs of such a system. In any event, investing today
in a small, supplemental solar-electric system can provide
valuable experience with on-site energy generation and
prepare you for the future.
Finally, within the warranty period of the system, you
will have accumulated as much or more savings with a
solar-electric energy system than you would have with a
traditional investment. It will be enough savings to expand
or upgrade your existing system, or to purchase an entirely
new, next-generation system. To wait is to waste.
Access
Paul Symanski, Add Energy, PO Box 26321, Scottsdale, AZ
85255 602-881-1656 info@addenergy.net
www.addenergy.net
Renewable Resource Data Center (RReDC), National
Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Blvd. MS/1612,
Golden, CO 80401 mary_anderberg@nrel.gov
http://rredc.nrel.gov
The Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy
(DSIRE), NC Solar Center, NC State University, Campus
Box 7902, Raleigh, NC 27695 susan_gouchoe@ncsu.edu
www.dsireusa.org
Arizona Public Service, PO Box 53999, Phoenix, AZ 85072
602-250-1000 www.aps.com
National Association of the Remodeling Industry (formerly
The National Remodelers Association), 780 Lee St. Suite
200, Des Plaines, IL 60016 800-611-6274 or 847-298-9200
Fax: 877-685-NARI info@nari.org www.nari.org
Photovoltaic Module and Array Performance
Characterization Methods for All System Operating
Conditions
www.sandia.gov/pv/docs/PDF/KINGREL.PDF
Commonly Observed Degradation in Field-Aged
Photovoltaic Modules, by M. Quintana, D. King, T.
McMahon & C. Osterwald, 2002, 0-7803-7471-1/02 IEEE
PV Orientation, by Zeke Yewdall, HP93
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Paonia, Colorado, is a small town of about 1,500 people located on the western
slope of Colorado. It is supported mostly by agriculture and coal mining. Folks
have either lived here their whole lives, sometimes on the same ranch their great-
granddaddy owned, or have moved here to live a simpler life. Paonia is my home,
and it was the site of this years Renewable Energy Youth Camp.
Renewable Energy Youth Camp
Chelsea Armijo
2004 Chelsea Armijo
Students Plan
a Solar Future
Dashauna Briscoe, Charles Wadsworth, and Samuel Masayumptewa wire a photovoltaic array
at the 2003 Renewable Energy Youth Camp in Paonia, Colorado.
The camp is in its fourth year of empowering and
educating youth to live more sustainably. Solar Energy
International (SEI) brings together students from all over the
world to address the serious issue of how we use energy
today. I had the awesome opportunity to participate in this
years youth camp. I am a homeschooler, or I should say
unschooler, and I feel that educating youth about
renewable energy is one of the smartest things our society
can do.
How can we live our lives without consuming more than
this planet can support? We need to look at the amount of
resources our lifestyles demand and start realistically
Students Plan
a Solar Future
95
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camp solar
identifying our true needs. This is
what we should be teaching youth. Its
something families should be
discussing with their children around
the dinner table. We need to start
becoming aware of our impact and its
cost.
During our week at the camp, we
studied renewable and finite
resources, the science of electricity,
natural building, and practical ways to
cut back our energy consumption right
away. We did hands-on projects,
installing photovoltaic systems and
cooking with solar ovens. We also
toured sustainable and off-grid homes,
as well as a local coal mine.
We cannot change the actions of
yesterday, but we can learn from them,
and every day make the changes we
wish to see in our future. During the
camp, director Ed Eaton asked the
attendees to write about their
experiences, and the importance of this
type of camp.
Sky Scholfield
Age 14, Redding, California
I am from the Wintu Tribe. My sister and I participated
in this summers solar/renewable resource camp. On the
second day, I learned that solar cooking has all the
advantages you could wish for. First, solar cooking takes no
energy to power it, but on a hot day it will cook in the same
time as a regular oven, up to a temperature of 300F.
The greatest part of using a solar oven during the
summer is that you do not heat up your house when it is
already hot from summer heat. If you havent seen or
learned about solar ovens, they are the best thing you can do
to conserve energy. As a Wintu, I believe that we should use
the resources that are already available to us.
Charles Wadsworth
Age 16, Hopi Reservation, Arizona
I am from the Hopi Reservation in Arizona. I had a great
opportunity to come to the Renewable Energy Youth Camp.
We have done many great things in this camp. The one thing
that really interested me was the straw bale homes. This to
me was a very good thing to hear. We saw how people could
build a nice cool home from natural materials, such as horse
bedding (straw), clay, or recycled wood. The homeowners
dont have many bills to pay because they use natural
lighting and house coating. This is a great way to live.
Skylar Upshaw
Age 17, Boulder, Colorado
I participated in this years Renewable Energy Youth
Camp. This is what I want to say about it. Unplug your TV.
Okay. Now open your eyes. Every electronic device with a
remote (TV, radio, computer monitor, etc.) and with
memory (channels, time, etc.) in your house uses energy
when you assume it is off. They call this a phantom load.
Though it is not costly to one family, when you add up all
the users, it is wasteful and endangers the environment.
Renewable energy is the way to go, but definitely costly. If it
is not affordable or accessible for you, you should definitely
lighten your load. Plug all your phantom loads into a power
strip. Turn them all off to lighten your load and the impact
on our world.
Ian Burritt
Age 15, Hotchkiss, Colorado
Participating in the Renewable Energy Youth Camp was
one of the most interesting and informational things I have
SEI staff member Jeff Tobe shows campers how to evaluate
solar exposure with a Solar Pathfinder.
Sky Scholfield provides the pedal power while camp assistant
director Melanie Thibodeaux explains energy efficiency.
96
home power 100 / april & may 2004
camp solar
ever done. Since I am good at many technical things, the
section of camp that excited me most was our class on
electricity and basic PV principles. Although I do not have a
grasp on the technology used to produce electricity from the
sun, the fact that solar panels are only 15 percent efficient
gave me a good idea of what to work for. I would like to
develop solar panels that have efficiencies of 70 percent and
up. In the future, I hope that other people and I can create a
new level of clean electricity, and encourage its use.
Samuel Masayumptewa
Age 16, Hopi Reservation, Arizona
During our camp, we went to a coal mine where I
learned lots of things. I learned that you can use coal for
electricity and many other things. On the Hopi Reservation,
we use coal to heat our homes. Another thing I learned was
that coal is not a very healthy material. The coal dust can
eventually kill you, and contains lead, arsenic, and uranium.
Coal miners have to breathe this stuff, so the mine has a
black lung disease fund to help miners when they get sick.
When we rode on the coal mines bus, the black coal dust
was all over, and we got dirty just walking and sitting on the
bus. I dont think that any more coal mines should be made.
I dont want any more holes in the earth.
Dashauna Briscoe,
Age 14, Jamaica, West Indies
This summer I made an excellent choice by coming to
the Renewable Energy Youth Camp. The information and
hands-on exposure I received excited me so much that I
want to try to teach what I learned to people who want to
learn about this.
The most interesting part of this
experience for me was the hands-on
part. I learned how to use a meter and
how important it is when installing a
photovoltaic system. I also learned
that a PV system is more energy
efficient. It uses the main source of
energy, the sun, and converts it into
electricity, instead of using coal! Its
very simple to install if you know your
math. This camp has changed and will
continue to change my life.
Sloan Oeinck
Age 11, Paonia, Colorado
I participated in the Renewable
Energy Youth Camp. After touring a
coal mine and two solar homes, I
began to realize that we have to give
back to the earth before it dies. We
cant keep on draining natures
supplies without consequences. We
must learn how to nourish the earth
back to a living state. I know that at the
rate we are going, the earth will turn
into a big dirt clod that will slowly
chisel off into space. Then we will fly to another planet, use
up all its resources, and eventually kill it too. If we use
renewable energy, the human species will last longer or
forever.
Camp director Ed Eaton and camp facilitator Richard Garcia show Sky Scholfield
and Skylar Upshaw how to use a digital multimeter.
Ian Burritt and Chelsea Armijo install components
inside a battery box.
97
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camp solar
Ed Eaton, director of the Renewable Energy Youth
Camp, envisions an expanded camp and
apprenticeship program in the future. The purpose of
the new youth camp is to educate young people
worldwide on the merits of renewable energy and
sustainable living.
Ed has been leading workshops on solar energy and its
practical uses for more than twenty years. Over these
years, he has worked in the solar energy industry as an
educator, system designer, installer, consultant, and
camp director. His passion as an instructor is to inform
young minds about renewable technology and the
energy choices that they can make.
For the past four years, Ed and his staff, Melanie
Thibodeaux, Richard Garcia, and others, have directed
the Renewable Energy Youth Camp. At this years camp,
he shared with us his dream of expanding the camp.
His vision is to invest in a piece of land where young
people can come for two or three weeks or do summer-
long internships. Youth from all over the world would
come to learn what the effect of their choice is. Their
education would be directed toward renewable energy,
organic farming, and sustainable living, with the
opportunity to enroll in the Renewable Industry
Apprenticeship Program.
Ed also talks about the importance of discussing social
issues and our shared concerns of what is going on in
the world. I asked him why or how some of these topics
tied into renewable energy. Energy is at the heart of
every ecosystem. Everything is interconnected, and to
separate them is a limiting perspective, he says. When
you are dealing with these issues all alone, you feel
helpless, but to come together as a group, you start to
feel empowered.
Ed had been trying to come up with a name for his new
camp, and it became apparent during a brainstorming
session at this years SEI Youth CampCamp-Us.
Complete with a youth advisory board, the sun shall
shine on us all, Ed says.
What would the world look like if you had the opportunity
to recreate the way you lived? This was the first question
that popped into my head when Ed shared his visions of
a future camp. I thought of an inspired group of people
from all around the world living simply, growing all their
own food, building with natural and local material, and
using renewable energy for everything. I thought of a
learning atmosphere where students have the hands-on
experience of being completely self-sustained. I
imagined the reward of not only working for change in
the world, but living it every day.
Vanessa Scholfield and Richard Garcia do the prepping
for a solar cooked feast.
Vanessa Scholfield
Age 16, Redding, California
Spending a week in Paonia at the Renewable Energy
Youth Camp and gathering knowledge about renewable
energy has empowered me to teach others back home what
I have learned. Renewable energy education opened my
eyes to a whole new lifestyle. This community uses
renewable energy, shares a common interest in health,
concern for the environment, and a sense of well-being of
mind, body, heart, and spirit as a whole.
What I want to do is carry this atmosphere back to
California where people arent as aware of these things. I
believe that sharing the perspective of building our homes
and communities energy needs around renewable energy
like photovoltaics or hydropower will create the same
contagious community feeling that I have experienced here
in Paonia. This is one of the greatest things anyone could be
a part of. Much like the renewable resources that we will be
using, the feeling of community will be unlimited.
Hillary Briscoe
Dashaunas mom, Jamaica, West Indies
About two years ago, my family and I were moved to
make changes in the supplier of our electricity. The electric
Visions for the Future!
98
home power 100 / april & may 2004
camp solar
company in Jamaica disconnected our electric line, stating
that the meter reading was not reflecting what they thought
we were using. Based on the size of our home, they said that
the bill should be more. So I started looking into alternative
sources of energy.
We have a home on the east coast of the U.S., and not
too many companies are involved in renewable sources of
energy there. I got on the Internet and found SEI. Then my
husband and I took a class in solar energy. We were able to
purchase and install, with assistance, our own system.
While taking the class, I learned about the Renewable
Energy Youth Camp. I was very excited and spoke with
my 14-year-old daughter, who decided to attend. We
applied, were accepted, and she attended. I came along to
drop my daughter off and was allowed to stay for two
days at camp. I was encouraged to stay longer, but had
other plans.
The camp was exciting; the material covered was
presented well. I believe that this camp is a very important
part of educating our youth about the environment and
renewable resources. I hope we will all get actively involved
in helping this program to expand.
Chelsea Armijo
Age 18, Paonia, Colorado
I speak to everyone but, specifically to youth when I say
this, because as Ed says, We are the consumers of
tomorrow. I say we are also the warriors of today. Our
actions are the future, and now we start. We have the power
to decide what we will and will not be a part of. Take that
power. Create. Be an independent thinker. Educate yourself
on where your resources come from. Know what you buy.
As Ed said to me, We cannot change the system if we do
not change our demand for finite resources. Educate
yourself on what you are supporting. As Gandhi said, You
must be the change you wish to see in the world.
Access
Chelsea Armijo marianna_rose@hotmail.com
Ed Eaton, Camp-Us, PO Box 1876, Paonia, CO 81428 970-
948-5304 hareef99@yahoo.com www.youthcamp-us.org
Solar Energy International, PO Box 715, Carbondale, CO
81623 970-963-8855 Fax: 970-963-8866
sei@solarenergy.org www.solarenergy.org
Campers and staff of the 2003 Renewable Energy Youth Camp with a solar powered light they installed at the local food co-op.
99
www.homepower.com
5
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John Day, OR
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for more information contact: SolWest/EORenew, PO Box 485, Canyon City, OR 97820
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Do It Yourself
of Fasteners
The Nuts & Bolts
100
home power 100 / april & may 2004
Last issue, I talked about the importance of using the
right hardware for the job in your electric vehicle
conversion. We looked at bolts and machines screwssizes,
head styles, grades, and finishes. But bolts arent much good
by themselves. Lets look at the rest of the hardware.
NutsThe Second Part of the Team
Unless it is being threaded into a tapped hole, a bolt
cannot do its job without a nut. The first and most obvious
requirement for the correct nut is that the thread has the
same diameter and thread form as the bolt. In U.S.
hardware, correct means coarse threaded nuts with coarse
bolts and fine nuts with fine bolts.
With metric fasteners, this is a little more difficult,
particularly if you are trying to replace lost or broken nuts
or bolts. There are two conflicting thread types. In European
vehicles, and some U.S. cars and trucks built since 1975, the
ISO (formerly the Deutsche Industry Normal or DIN) metric
thread system is used. This system falls between the USS
(coarse) and SAE (fine) pitches (the distances between the
thread peaks).
Fasteners in Japanese vehicles conform to the Japanese
Industry Standard. The JIS system has two pitches: one
between the ISO and SAE pitches, and a second pitch that is
finer than SAE. This means that not all 10 mm bolts will fit
all 10 mm nuts. This is why you should save all the fasteners
you take off the vehicle you are converting.
Since the hex nut is the type most commonly used in the
automotive world, it is the type we will be referring to in
this article. Square nuts are available, but they are generally
used on farm implements and decorative ironwork.
Although nearly all automotive nuts are made of the
same low carbon steel, they are hardened to Grade 5 or
Grade 8. As for finishes, nuts are offered either plain or zinc
plated to match the grade color code. Stainless steel nuts
should only be used with stainless steel bolts. As we
discussed last time, due to the expense and brittle nature of
stainless steel, it should only be used where needed to avoid
corrosion.
Wrench size is determined by the width of the nut,
measured across the top, from the center of one flat side to
the opposite flat side. To make things easy, there is a
Bolts alone cant do the job without nuts and washers.
The Nuts & Bolts
of Fasteners Part 2
Mike Brown 2004 Mike Brown
101
www.homepower.com
nuts & bolts
standard that dictates the nut width and height for common
bolt sizes. For example, the nut for a
1
/4 inch bolt is
7
/16 inch
wide and
7
/32 inch high.
The dimensions described above are for a standard
1
/4
inch hex nut. There is also the jam, or half-height, nut. This
nut has the same width as the standard hex nut, but is a little
more than half as high. The jam nut is used where clearance
between moving parts is an issue. Since the strength of a nut
is determined by its thickness (the thicker the nut, the more
threads gripping the bolt), jam nuts should only be used
when absolutely necessary. A jam nut can also be used to
lock another nut in place, which is probably where its name
came from.
The only other size variation involves heavy nuts.
These are wider than the standard nuts, for a bigger contact
area, and thicker for greater strength. The heavy jam nut has
the same width as the heavy nut and is a little more than
one-half the heavy nuts height.
Nuts Come in Different Flavors
So far, we have identified nuts by their material,
hardness, thread diameter, thread pitch, width, and height.
Nuts are also identified as plain or self-locking. A plain nut
is the type we have been discussing up to now. It threads on
the bolt and turns easily until it contacts one of the parts that
it and the bolt are holding together. Then the head of the bolt
is held with a wrench and the nut is turned with another
wrench until your elbow or a torque wrench tells you it is
tight enough (more on tight enough later). Once
tightened, the plain nut is held in place by the friction
between the threads of the nut and bolt. If the assembled
parts are subjected to vibration, it is only a matter of time
before the nut loosens and the assembly fails.
Since the effects of a fastener failing on an automobile
can range from inconvenient to deadly, keeping the
fasteners tight is desirable. This leads us to the second type
of nutthe locknut. We will look at the two most common
versions of locknutthe nylon-lined or Nylock nut and the
all-metal, self-locking nut.
The Nylock nut is a plain nut with a nylon ring built into
its top. When the Nylock nut is threaded onto a bolt, the
nylon ring deforms to match the threads of the bolt. This
produces an interference fit between the bolt and the nylon
insert, which locks the nut in place.
This does not harm the threads on the bolt, which allows
easy assembly and disassembly. However, the Nylock nut
should be discarded after six applications. Its features make
the Nylock nut the most widely used type of locknut. A
word of caution: Nylock nuts should not be used where they
are subjected to more than 250F (121C), which will melt
the nylon.
There are two types of all-metal, self-locking nuts. The
first type has the top half of the nut slotted multiple times
around the diameter of the threaded hole. The threads in the
slotted part of the nut have a slightly smaller inside diameter
than the standard threads in the bottom half of the nut. When
the bolt hits the slotted portion of the nut, it forces the metal
parts of the nut to spread between the slots. This creates an
interference fit, which locks the nut in place. This locknut
does not distort the threads of the bolt and is reusable.
The second type of all-metal locknut is the deformed
thread locknut. These nuts have part of their threads
deformed, which forces the bolt to act like a thread-cutting
tap to reform the threads of the nut. This causes a very
heavy interference fit and can damage the bolt. These nuts
should be used where the assembly is considered to be
permanent. If disassembly becomes necessary, both the nuts
and bolts should be discarded.
WashersThe Third Part of the Team
There are many different kinds of washers. We are going
to discuss two typeslock washers and flat washers.
Lock washerssprings and teeth. A lock washer is
installed on a bolt between the nut and the part. Its purpose
is to keep the nut from vibrating loose. A pure spring lock
washer, like the slightly dished Belleville washer, works by
increasing the friction between the threads of the nut and
bolt. It does not damage the nut or the part, but costs five
times as much as the common split spring washer.
The split spring lock washer is what most people think
of as a lock washer. It has a split across it, and one edge of
the split bends up while the other edge bends down. It is
widely used, does its job pretty well, and best of all, its
cheap. Its main disadvantage is that it gets part of its locking
ability from the ends of the spring digging into the nut and
into the part, which permanently damages both of them.
You can put a flat washer between the lock washer and
the part to protect it, but then all you accomplish is locking
Left to right: nut, jam nut, heavy nut, heavy jam nut.
All of these nuts fit the same size bolt.
Left to right: slotted thread locknut, deformed thread locknut
(also called a stover), and nylon insert locknut.
102
home power 100 / april & may 2004
nuts & bolts
the nut to the flat washer, leaving only the spring force to
prevent loosening. Aplain nut and a split spring lock washer
should not be considered the equivalent of a Nylock nut.
Toothed lock washers are steel stampings that can have
either internal or external teeth. They do their job by digging
their teeth into the nut and into the part. Since they are low
strength, their use is usually limited to machine screws
under
1
/4 inch in diameter.
Flat washersno nut and bolt should go without. The
basic flat washer has two jobs to do. The first is to spread the
clamping force of the nut and bolt over a larger area. The
second is to prevent damage to the parts during tightening.
Like everything else in this article, flat washers come in
many different types. We are going to look at the difference
between two typesUSS and SAE. Both are identified by
the size of bolt they fit, but that and being round is all they
have in common.
The USS washer is kind of a free spirit. The inside and
outside diameters and thickness vary among
manufacturers, and among countries of origin. This lack of
consistency makes the USS flat washer useable for
distribution of force and part protection only.
The SAE flat washer, however, is a precision part. Its
inside and outside diameters as well as thickness (all of
which are smaller than the USS washer) meet an established
standard. Knowing these dimensions is important when
you are designing parts for your conversion. If a part has a
limited amount of space between the bolt hole and the edge,
it is nice to know that the washer you are planning to use
will fit.
The SAE washers uniformity has many technical
advantages, such as the ability to use it as a precision spacer.
It also gives the finished product a more professional
appearance. Use SAE washers. You may pay a few pennies
more, but you will be going first class.
No Loose Nuts
Determining how much force to use with nuts and bolts
can be tricky. If a plain nut is not tightened sufficiently, there
wont be enough friction between the threads to hold it in
place. Vibration will work on the loose nut until it falls off,
usually at the worst possible time.
Although a Nylock nut is not affected by vibration, if it
is not tightened enough, the parts being held together will
move against each other. This movement can result in bolt
hole distortion as well as damage to the mating surfaces.
Either of these conditions, left uncorrected, can result in a
big oops.
A little too tight. The obvious solution is to get the
longest wrench you have that will fit the nut, apply some
real muscle to it, and get that nut tight. The problem with
this technique becomes apparent when the bolt snaps and
comes off in your hand. This usually occurs with small bolts
(
1
/4 to
5
/16 inch diameter), when the force exceeds the tensile
strength of the bolt.
With larger bolts (
3
/8 inch and up), what usually
happens is, just as youre really pulling on the wrench,
suddenly the nut starts to turn easily but it isnt getting any
tighter. When you try to back the nut off the bolt, it spins but
doesnt move in that direction either. What we have here is
a case of stripped threads. This happens when the force
being applied to an already tight nut and bolt exceeds the
tensile strength of the threads of the nut or bolt or both.
Just tight enough. The way to avoid the two failures
above is to know exactly how much force (called torque)
to apply. There are two ways to determine the tightening
torque for the fasteners used in your conversion. If the parts
being assembled were originally part of the vehicle, your
factory service manual will have torque tables. These are
usually at the end of each section relating to a specific group
of components such as brakes or steering.
If the fasteners are for parts being added as part of the
conversion, you must refer to a torque chart (see the table).
The torque chart tells the torque limit for a bolt of a specific
size and grade. As you choose fasteners and look up their
torque ratings, note these in your project notebook. After the
conversion is done, use those notes to create a torque table
for the conversion parts of your EV.
Use the right tool. To determine how much torque you
are applying, use a torque wrench. The simplest form of this
tool has a drive for a socket wrench on one end of a long arm
with a handle on the other end. It has a pointer attached to
the socket drive end that runs along the arm until it ends at
a calibrated scale just below the handle.
Lock washers, left to right: Belleville concave spring, split
spring, internal toothed, and external toothed.
These are all
1
/2 inch flat washers. The lower right one is SAE
standard. The other three are from different batches of USS
standard. Note the wide disparity among the USS washers.
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www.homepower.com
nuts & bolts
When force is applied to the fastener, the arm bends. The
pointer does not bend, and its free end points to a
graduation on the calibrated scale that shows how many
foot-pounds of torque are being applied. While this tool
sounds primitive, it is quite accurate. I rebuilt an awful lot of
VW Bug engines using this kind of torque wrench.
With the more modern torque wrenches, the desired
number of foot-pounds of torque is preset against a
calibrated spring. When that amount of torque is reached,
the handle gives a bit and a loud click is heard. This type is
easier to use because you dont have to watch the pointer.
An experienced mechanic will develop a calibrated elbow
over the years, and only use the torque wrench when a more
precise amount of torque is required.
If you dont have much mechanical experience, it might
be best if you tighten all the fasteners until they are snug,
and then go over them again with a torque wrench. After
using this procedure enough times, you may develop a
calibrated elbow of your own.
Another good habit involves tightening a number of
fasteners that are in a pattern around the edge of an
assembly. Instead of tightening one nut and bolt and then
moving to the next set in line, use the criss-cross method.
Start with one fastener and tighten it a few turns. Then
move to another one across the assembly and give it a few
turns. Keep moving this way from fastener to fastener until
they are all tight.
This method pulls the two parts of the assembly together
evenly and avoids distortion. Examples of places to use this
technique are fastening the battery rack to the vehicles
frame or body, and bolting the flywheel to the adaptor hub.
You might not feel like putting a torque wrench on every
fastener you put on your conversion. Few people do.
However, as a minimum, you must torque any fastener that
is helping to support a lot of weight or is part of a rotating
mechanism. These are the areas where failure is likely and
will cause the most damage.
Attention to Detail Counts
Fasteners are such small things, so people rarely give
them much thought. But as you can see from what weve
discussed in this article and the previous one, there are a lot
of differences among them. These little differences can make
a big difference in the success of your electric vehicle
conversion project, or any other project.
Access
Mike Brown, Electro Automotive, PO Box 1113-HP, Felton,
CA95018 831-429-1989 Fax: 831-429-1907
electro@cruzio.com www.electroauto.com
Carroll Smiths Nuts, Bolts, Fasteners, and Plumbing Handbook,
by Carroll Smith, 1990, ISBN: 0879384069, 224 pages,
US$21.95 from Motorbooks International, 380 Jackson St.
Suite 200, St. Paul, MN 55101 800-826-6600 or
715-294-3345 Fax: 715-294-4448 trade@motorbooks.com
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home power 100 / april & may 2004
code corner
The National
Electrical Code
Past, Present, & Future
John Wiles
Sponsored by the Photovoltaic Systems Assistance Center
Sandia National Laboratories
The National Electrical Code (NEC), updated and
published every three years by the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA), is the most current and comprehensive
electrical safety installation requirements document in the
world. The 2002 NEC is the current edition, and work is
nearly complete on the 2005 edition.
Hundreds of volunteers work on a three-year cycle to
review and update the NEC to accommodate the latest
technology and methods of wiring electrical systems.
Representatives from the photovoltaic (PV) industry,
academic institutions, the inspector community, testing
laboratories, and the electric utility industry meet regularly
to modify and update Article 690 of the NEC, which deals
with PV systems. Although Article 690 covers only eleven
pages in the NEC, most of the remaining 711 pages of the
code also deal with wiring practices and requirements that
affect PV installations.
The NEC has been legislated into law by nearly all states
and by most major cities in the United States. It has been
published for more than 100 years and represents the best
ideas that have evolved in more than a century of electrical
power systems theory, design, and installation practice.
There is always room for improvement, and the document
continues to evolve. Paperback copies of the NEC are
available for less than US$50 at most electrical equipment
distributors. The NEC and the hardbound NEC Handbook
are also available directly from NFPA(see Access). The NEC
Handbook provides additional explanatory detail and
numerous pictures and diagrams.
A Safety Code
The NEC began as a fire safety code, but now includes
personnel safety. It requires that all equipment be examined
for safety. While the local electrical inspector or authority
having jurisdiction (AHJ) will inspect the field-installed
wiring, the AHJ relies on the listing or labeling mark of an
acceptable nationally recognized testing laboratory like UL,
ETL, or CSA to provide an indication that all equipment,
conductors, and devices have been examined for safety. The
listing mark ensures that the equipment has been tested to
meet a number of appropriate safety standards relating to
electrical shock and fire hazards. Many inspectors will only
inspect or approve systems that have been assembled with
listed components. Insurance and mortgage companies may
require electrical inspections, particularly on new
construction or on additions to existing structures.
The inspector will be looking for the good workmanship
required by the NEC. PV installations that resemble other
electrical installations will be more readily accepted than
those installations using equipment or unconventional
installation practices that do not resemble normal electrical
supply equipment.
All listed equipment comes with labels or instructions that
define the requirements (developed in conjunction with the
requirements of the NEC) for installation and use of that
equipment. Violations of these instructions or requirements
may result in unsafe systems and equipment damage. The
inspector, in many cases, will verify that these instructions
have been followed. Almost all of the material that is printed
on labels attached to electrical equipment has been placed
there to meet a safety requirementeither established by the
NEC or by a listing laboratory. Much of the material found in
equipment instruction and installation pamphlets and
manuals is also mandated by safety requirements.
Code Arrangement
The first four chapters of the NEC are general in nature
and apply to nearly all electrical systems. Here are the
chapter titles and some of the contents:
Chapter 1. General: Includes definitions and general
requirements for electrical installations.
Chapter 2. Wiring and Protection: Includes the
calculations of loads and circuit sizes, overcurrent
protection, and grounding.
Chapter 3. Wiring Methods and Materials: Includes all of
the fixed (nonmoving) wiring methods, and ampacity
tables showing the current-carrying ability for
conductors.
Chapter 4. Equipment for General Use: Includes
numerous types of electrical equipment and portable
cords and how they are to be connected and used.
105
www.homepower.com
code corner
The later chapters of the code cover all of the different
types of electrical installations:
Chapter 5. Special Occupancies: Includes hazardous
locations, healthcare facilities, recreational vehicles,
mobile homes, motion picture theaters, and numerous
other commercial buildings.
Chapter 6. Special Equipment: Includes items like
electric vehicle chargers, audio systems, fuel cells,
swimming pools, X-ray equipment, electric welders, and
of course, PV systems.
Chapter 7. Special Conditions: Includes emergency
systems, standby systems, utility-interactive systems,
fiber optic systems, and power-limited systems.
Chapter 8. Communications Systems: Includes radio and
TV transmitting and receiving systems, CATV systems,
and broadband communications systems.
Chapter 9. Useful tables on conductor properties and
sizing, and using raceways and conduit.
Requirements of the NEC Are Complex
Article 690 in Chapter 6 covers PV installations, but
relies on the material in the first four chapters and much
other information throughout the code for the basic
electrical system requirements. Because many aspects of PV
systems are sufficiently different from other electrical
systems, Article 690 was developed in 1984 to cover them.
Where the requirements of Article 690 differ from other
requirements in the NEC, Article 690 takes precedence.
However, the local electrical inspector has the final say.
The installation of PV systems is at least as complex as
the installation of residential electrical systems, and in some
cases more complex. To illustrate the complexityone of the
numerous training guides that covers the installation of
residential electrical systems is 647 pages long! It takes the
apprentice electrician nearly four years of study and
practice to reach the journeyman level.
Safety vs. Performance
NEC requirements for PV installations and the
requirements found on labels and in instructions for listed
equipment, when followed, will generally result in a safe
installation. While using equipment listed to UL standards
and installing that equipment to NEC requirements does not
guarantee high levels of performance, higher performance
and reliability frequently are achieved.
The code-required manner of sizing components,
covered in past (and future) Code Corner columns, and the
higher quality of listed equipment will generally result in
PV systems that have higher levels of performance and
reliability than systems that do not meet NEC requirements
and are not listed. Of course, it is possible to install a code-
compliant system using listed equipment in a poorly
designed system or with misadjusted equipment, and
performance and reliability may suffer.
Please remember that the NEC is not a design document,
and to quote a senior code-making official: The NEC will
not contain anything that will keep stupid people from
making stupid mistakes. On the other hand, the NEC does
contain substantial amounts of guidance on how to make
your PV system safer and perform better.
The 2005 Code Cycle
Ward Bower at Sandia National Laboratories and a team
of people from the PV industry met several times
throughout 2002 and 2003 to write, substantiate, and
coordinate proposals and comments for the 2005 NEC.
Proposals and comments from the NECs PV industry forum
were balanced and contrasted with proposals submitted by
organizations like the International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers (IBEW) and others.
The initial proposals for the 2005 NEC were submitted
on November 1, 2002, just eleven months after the 2002 NEC
went into effect. The code-making panels met several times
during 2002 and 2003. The report on these original proposals
was published in July 2003. Comments on the original
proposals were submitted at the end of October 2003, and
the code-making panels met in late 2003 and early 2004 to
formulate the final language. By the time this article is
printed, the 2005 NEC will be finalized except for minor
editorial changes. It will be published in late 2004, and will
become effective in most locations on January 1, 2005. In the
next Code Corner, I will present some of the code changes
that have been approved for PV systems in 2005, and start
covering some of the code basics.
Access
John C. Wiles, Southwest Technology Development
Institute, New Mexico State University, Box 30,001/MSC 3
SOLAR, Las Cruces, NM 88003 505-646-6105
Fax: 505-646-3841 jwiles@nmsu.edu
www.nmsu.edu/~tdi/pv.htm
Sponsor: Sandia National Laboratories, Ward Bower,
Department 6218, MS 0753, Albuquerque, NM 87185
505-844-5206 Fax: 505-844-6541 wibower@sandia.gov
www.sandia.gov/pv
The 2002 NEC and the NEC Handbook are available from
the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 11 Tracy
Dr., Avon, MA02322 800-344-3555 or 508-895-8300
Fax: 800-593-6372 or 508-895-8301 custserv@nfpa.org
www.nfpa.org
106
home power 100 / april & may 2004
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108
home power 100 / april & may 2004
independent power providers
A Winning
Solar Policy
Don Loweburg
2004 Don Loweburg
During the last several years, IPP has chronicled the
evolution of a winning solar strategy in California. A broad
coalition of solar activists working within the industry, in
the public sector, and in the legislature has crafted
legislation and programs making California the nations
leader in solar electricity. California could be an example for
other states and countries, and energy activists worldwide
can learn from our successes and failures.
Key elements in the California strategy are: net metering,
customer rebate programs for both large commercial and
residential utility customers to encourage on-site PV, a
renewable portfolio standard that requires utilities to
include a minimum percentage of renewable energy, and a
community choice law that allows communities to purchase
renewable energy from independent energy providers. San
Francisco and San Diego are among several cities pursuing
this option in California.
Two actions last December at the California Public
Utilities Commission (CPUC), if not successfully
challenged, will slow Californias successful solar program.
They could deal a serious blow to Californias solar rebate
program, which promotes customer ownership of solar-
electric generation, and to community choice laws, which
allow local communities to aggregate electricity purchases
and choose renewable energy and efficiency.
A Big Surprise
The first action was the CPUC approval for a 5 megawatt
solar-electric plant to be financed using rebate funding.
Southern California Edison (SCE) received that approval on
December 4, 2003. This project may short circuit the states
successful customer-oriented solar program by allocating a
large block of the funding to a single project. Four major
problems make this project unacceptable.
The first is secrecy. The solar industry first heard about
the CPUC vote on this project one day before the vote. It was
quickly determined that the original filing for the project
was done in secret more than a year ago. Because the filing
was done in secret, the solar industry and the public could
not make comments or protest in an organized way.
Perhaps related to the secrecy are some questionable
connections between the president of the CPUC, SCE, and
the company slated to build the solar plant. Mr. Michael
Peevey, current president of the CPUC, was an SCE executive
before quitting to lead an unregulated energy company. The
company that is designated to build Edisons solar plant is
TrueSolar, a subsidiary of Mr. Peeveys employer prior to his
moving to the CPUC. Mr. Peevey was appointed president of
the CPUC last year. The secret filing for the proposed SCE
solar plant was initiated about a year ago.
A second criticism of the Edison plant is based on
technical issues. Central station PV may not be the most
efficient way to use photovoltaics. Last isue, I mentioned that
up to 20 percent of centrally generated electricity is lost
during its transmission and distribution. Furthermore, utility
central station PV has a very poor track record in California.
For example, in 1985, Arco Solar built a 6.5 megawatt
central station PV plant in the Carrizo Plains near San Luis
Obispo, California for Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). It
was the largest PV installation in the world. The plant
received a 40 percent subsidy from the federal government,
but closed in 1990. The PV modules were salvaged and
resold on the consumer market. Though heat damaged and
with low output, the modules were aggressively marketed.
The resulting flood of cheap modules on the market hurt the
sale of new modules.
Bill Yerkes, founder of Arco Solar, commented on this
failed project in the JanuaryFebruary 2004 issue of Solar
Today, Later, many utility companies learned that
distributed, grid connected PV applied directly at the load
(on the roof of a building) was much more effective than
traditional central power plants with long transmission
lines. Evidently Edison has failed to learn this lesson.
Another example of poor track record for large utility
projects: In 1993, PG&E built a 500 KW PV plant near
Kerman, California. It was conceived as a utility-scale
distributed generation project. In operation for only five
years, this project was shut down in 1998 after repeated
breakdowns. It sits idle now, purportedly for sale. Do these
failed projects prove that utility-scale PV is a bad idea, or are
they isolated examples of poor design or management?
A third problem with Edisons plan is that it is not
consistent with the purposes of the proposed funding
source. In the secret filing, Edison stated an intention to
access funding from the Emerging Renewables program
account. This proposal violates two provisions of the
Emerging Renewables rebate. First, CEC staff has stipulated
that a majority of the funding should go to systems 30 KW
or less in size. With an output rating of 5 megawatts,
Edisons plant does not qualify. Second, funding is for
109
www.homepower.com
independent power providers
systems located at the customers site that offset customer
load. Edisons project complies with neither requirement.
A fourth problem with the Edison project is that it
violates state law. Public utilities law 2775.5 section (b)
states, The commission shall deny the authorization sought
if it finds that the proposed program will restrict
competition or restrict growth in the solar energy industry
or unfairly employ in a manner which would restrict
competition in the market for solar energy systems any
financial, marketing, distributing, or generating advantage
which the corporation may exercise as a result of its
authority to operate as a public utility. Put simply, a utility
cannot use its monopoly position to the disadvantage of
competitive businesses.
Subtle Sabotage
Is the Edison PV project a Trojan horse? While appearing
to advance solar energy, is it actually designed to sabotage
Californias customer-targeted solar program by depleting
its funding? Consider Edisons comments quoted from the
December 5 issue of the Los Angeles Times lauding the project
as part of our longstanding commitment to renewable-
energy resources that offer California important
environmental and economic benefits. These are the guys
that brought us exit fees (aka departing load charges)
charges levied on electricity customers when they choose to
generate some of their own electricity.
From an economic point of view, Edisons central station
PV project looks like an artful scam. The funding for this
project is collected from utility customers via a public
goods surcharge on their electricity bill. When Edison taps
this funding, they are essentially using customer dollars.
Edison then resells the customer-subsidized electricity back
to the customer at the full rate, or even at a premium as
green power.
The Second Punch
A second threat to solar electricity was delivered on
December 18, 2003, when the CPUC approved a preliminary
resolution of PG&Es bankruptcy. The primary focus of the
resolution was financing PG&Es debt and setting electricity
rates. However, two provisions that would damage PVs
future in California were included in that resolution.
The solar unfriendly provisions are a five-year hold on
the implementation of Californias green power
renewable portfolio standard (RPS) law (SB1078) and the
community choice law (AB117). SB1078 requires a minimum
renewable content in utility supplied electricity, while
AB117 allows cities and communities to procure nonutility
electricity. Numerous communities, including San Francisco
and San Diego, are planning locally funded renewable
energy projects.
A backdrop to this resolution is what I have referred to
in past IPP articles as an unsavory relationship between
the state of California and the regulated utilities. The fact is,
to keep the lights on two years ago, the state purchased
large future contracts for electricity at above-market prices.
Behind the scenes, we have the state owning high priced
electricity and being pressured to support utility recovery as
a means to maintain state solvency. On the hook are the
ratepayers, forced to eat dirty electricity while being held
captive for five additional years, unless the commissions
decision is rectified.
It is unclear how these two issues will be resolved. In
spite of opposition from the widest possible spectrum of
stakeholders, Edisons secret PV plant was approved by the
CPUC with a tie-breaking vote cast in its favor by CPUC
president Peevey. However, it is not a done deal yet, since
the project must be approved by the California Energy
Commission (CEC). Ahearing on the proposal is scheduled
for early 2004.
Green Choice Is Threatened
The status of community choice and the RPS is also
unclear. The CPUC decision to put these legislated
programs on a five-year hold challenges the intent of the
legislature. The CPUC is casting itself in the role of deciding,
on its own, what state laws it will comply with. This
behavior on the part of the CPUC may be perceived as a slap
in the face by those legislators who forwarded these two
bills. It may take legislative and legal action to override the
CPUC, and I suspect that those legislators who promoted
and voted for both laws are somewhat hot about the
CPUCs disregard for their legislation.
Putting community choice and the renewable portfolio
standard on hold for five years as a way to bail out both the
state and utilities is very shortsighted from the point of view
of the renewable energy community. However, if we adopt
the apparent view of central station generators and their
state sponsors, this move looks like a winning strategy. It
stifles competition from renewable providers and
guarantees sufficient revenue flow to finance additional
central station natural gas generation in California.
Taking RE Mainstream
Renewable energy is moving from the realm of
alternative to mainstream. In this process, the energy
establishment is challenged, and we are currently
witnessing their reaction. Because California is at the
forefront of this transformation, the reactionary impact
appears here first. Lessons learned by the renewable
community in this struggle will certainly be applicable
elsewhere in the country. Struggle can be taken as a measure
of success as the transformation to renewable energy occurs.
Access
Don Loweburg, IPP, PO Box 231, North Fork, CA93643
559-877-7080 i2p@aol.com www.i2p.org
San Jose Mercury News article: Plant Could Bankrupt Fund
For Consumers December 5, 2003
www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/7419192.htm
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www.local.org
110
home power 100 / april & may 2004
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home power 100 / april & may 2004
power politics
100 Issues of
RE Solutions
To Old, Familiar Problems
Michael Welch
2004 Michael Welch
As Home Power celebrates its 100th issue, the crew has
been reflecting on where weve been, while keeping our
eyes on the prize and where we want to go. This magazine
has always been about empowering folks to become users
of renewable energy. Keeping you informed about what is
going on with the politics of energy is an important part of
that.
I first got turned on to Home Power with issue #11 when
a friend handed me the newsprint issue with a weird
asymmetric design on the cover. Once I opened it up, I
realized that the magazine was exactly what I was looking
for. (And now I know that the weird design was a close-up
photo of a multi-crystalline solar-electric cell.)
I felt compelled to make a pilgrimage to Home Power
Central, and soon became friends with HP publishers
Richard and Karen Perez. They appreciated and were
supportive of the work I was doing with Redwood Alliance,
and soon we were collaborating on several projects, most
notably the Home Power BBS, our early online effort. My
first article in HP was not about the politics of energy, but
rather a review of the High Lifter water-powered pump (see
HP23). Karen and Richard soon asked me to write about
energy politics, and my first column appeared in HP30 in
August 1992.
Still Mad
That very first Power Politics column began, I am mad as
hell, and you should be too! Nothing much has changed on
that frontI am still quite POed, though I have mellowed a
bit since then. There is a bit of irony in that the subject of my
first column was the first Bush administrations energy
policy, and I am just as upset with the present Bush
administrations energy policy. While vast, fantastic changes
have been made in the fields of both home and utility-scale
RE over the last twelve years, not much has changed in the
energy politics scene, which is the defining need for this
column. As reported in HP30, special interests continually
find ways to influence our government.
One thing that has changed since 1992 is the brazen
openness of politicians to special interests, and the
citizenrys ignoring of it. The recent war in Iraq has
resulted in the transfer of control of resources (fossil fuels)
from an independent nation to U.S.-based corporations.
Was that an inadvertent byproduct or the goal of the war?
In HP92, I suggested a similar motivation for the war in
Afghanistan. Time will tell whether my theories prove
true.
In that first column, I said that the way out is through
voter revolution. I called for making our desires into
reality by making our voices heard as political
constituents. This means not only calling and writing your
political representatives, but also exercising your vote at
election time. Maybe there are other kinds of revolution
that could work, but frankly, I do not see enough heart for
it among U.S. citizens. The bad news is that this lack of
heart has become a too common behavior of the voting
public, with fewer and fewer folks taking part in the
process all the time. The influence of moneyed special
interests has increased proportionately to the publics lack
of participation.
The good news is that with less and less of the general
public taking part in our political process, the door is
opening up for folks who are aware of the need for change
and are willing to work and vote for it. We cant any
longer afford to let elections be close. We all must take the
time to vote for change. The last presidential election was
so close that we ended up having the final decision made
by the Supreme Court in favor of the candidate who
actually received fewer popular votes. If more people had
voted in that election, things could have turned out
differently.
H
2
from Nukes
An example of corporate control over government is
shown by current energy policy, which includes the
building of a hydrogen economy. For years,
environmentalists and renewable energy activists have been
looking forward to a day when we burn renewably
produced hydrogen instead of fossil fuels. But now that the
needed technologies are getting closer to that possibility,
current energy policy calls for using them on behalf of the
nuclear and fossil fuel industries.
This misguided effort looks like they are doing
something new and green for our energy future. But
113
www.homepower.com
power politics
instead of using renewable energy to liberate hydrogen from
water, the push is for building new nuclear power plants to
do the job. Other hydrogen would come from reforming
fossil fuels, rather than from renewable energy. Fortunately,
a new effort to head that off is being formed, called the
Green Hydrogen Coalition. (See Access.)
Candidate Survey
To move towards a sustainable energy policy, I and
many others believe that we need a new president. Some
pretty good candidates are out there, and they are paying
attention to energy policy. The Sustainable Energy Coalition
commissioned a survey to explore major-party candidate
opinions and stances on various energy issues.
The survey is quite comprehensive, and can be
downloaded from the Promised Files section of the Home
Power Web site. The executive summary states, The survey
questioned the candidates regarding their position on
federal tax and budget support for renewable energy,
energy efficiency, fossil fuels, and nuclear power. It also
asked for their views on such policy issues as a federal
renewable energy portfolio standard, a federal renewable
fuels standard, a federal wires charge to support energy
efficiency investments, fuel efficiency standards for
automobiles, opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to
oil and gas development, and opening the federal high-level
nuclear waste storage facility at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.
Finally, the survey posed a number of questions regarding
climate change, the Kyoto Protocol, oil imports, and rising
natural gas prices.
It is difficult to condense the survey results to fit into this
column, but all eight respondents favored increased funding
levels for RE and energy efficiency programs. They agreed
that human activity is causing global warming and that
immediate precautionary action is warranted, and are
against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. All
had something to say about ending the funding of nuclear
power to various degrees.
As I waded through the details
about the candidates, both subtle
and not-so-subtle differences
began to emerge, and one
candidate stood out for me. While
we all must make up our own
minds based on a lot of different
factors, I know who I would be
proud to have as the next
President of the United States.
Turn It Around
As we deal with similar
problems to those that existed in
the early days of Home Power, we
need to do all we can to make sure
I dont have to write about the
same, tired energy policy again in
some future anniversary issue.
Please vote in the upcoming
primaries and the November election. It is the best way to
give the RE world a chance.
Access
Michael Welch, c/o Redwood Alliance, PO Box 293, Arcata,
CA95518 707-822-7884
michael.welch@homepower.com
www.redwoodalliance.org
Sustainable Energy Coalition, Susanna Drayne,
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home power 100 / april & may 2004
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home power 100 / april & may 2004
word power
Basic Electrical
Terminology Summary
Ian Woofenden
2004 Ian Woofenden
I started writing Word Power columns when I joined the
HP crew in 1998, beginning with a piece on Volt in HP68.
Thirty-two columns later, I havent run out of terms to write
about. Ive covered all the basic electrical terms, and some
not so basic ones too. I look forward to delving into more of
the same, and also covering some terminology from specific
renewable energy technologies. If you have ideas for future
columns, please drop me an e-mail message.
For this, our 100th issue, Im going to recap and summarize
some of the basic electrical terms, with a special emphasis on
terms that are frequently misunderstood or confused.
Voltage (V or E) can be thought of as electrical
pressure. Its the push that moves electrons, and hence
energy, through wires. Voltage is not an indication of energy
capacity. You can have the same voltage in a tiny blood
vessel and a huge viaduct, which have very different
capacities. Voltage is also known as electromotive force,
electrical potential, and electrical potential difference.
Amperage (A or I) is the rate of charge flow. Charges
(electrons, in wires) move around or back and forth in a circuit
at a certain rate, and the amp is the unit measurement. Its also
known as amperes, amps, intensity, electrical current, and
coulombs per second. Current is not stuff that flows
through wires, but the rate of charge flow. Saying current
flow is redundant (its like saying charge flow flow)
current is the flow rate. 1 amp = 1 coulomb per second = 6.28
billion billion electrons per second
Amp-hours (AH or Ah) are the units of accumulated or
cycled charge. Its the same type of measurement as
coulombs. This is a quantity of stuff, but its not used
up, it just moves around in a circuit. We also talk about
battery capacity in terms of amp-hours (though using
watt-hours would make life easier). There is no such thing
as amps per hour in normal electrical lifedont say it!
Wattage (W or P) is the rate of energy flow. Two things
move in electrical circuitscharges and energy. Charges move
slowly around or back and forth in a circuit, never leaving.
Energy moves almost instantaneously from generating source
to load, changing form. Wattage is the rate of energy
movement. Other related terms are watts, power, and joules
per second. Its a rate, not a quantity of stuff.
There is a clear, technical difference between power
(watts) and energy, (watt-hours). We would be less
confused about them if we would observe this difference
when we speak and write. In common speech, power is
very often used to mean energy, so its no surprise that
many people dont understand the difference. 1 watt = 1
joule per second
Watt-hours (WH or Wh; KWH or kWh) describes
accumulated energy. If a turbine generates at the rate of 100
watts for one hour, it will have generated 100 watt-hours.
This is the same sort of measure as joules. Energy, which is
measured in watt-hours, is a quantity of stuff, and is in a
sense used up, but really just changes form, such as from
fuel energy to heat, or from wind energy to electricity to
light.
Watt-hours are like miles traveled, while watts are like
miles per hour. Or to say the same thing another way,
energy is like distance traveled while power is like
speed. There is no such thing as watts per hour in normal
electrical lifebanish this one from your vocabulary too,
along with amps per hour. 1 kilowatt-hour = 1,000 watt-
hours
Ohm (R or o or ) is the unit of electrical resistance. It is
resistance to the flow of charges in a circuit, like friction that
slows down a motor belt.
DC stands for direct current the one-way movement
of charges in a circuit, around and around. There is a distinct
positive and negative in DC circuits.
AC stands for alternating current, the oscillating
movement of charges, back and forth in a circuit. Energy is still
transferred by these oscillating charges. The polarity (positive
and negative) in AC circuits changes many times per second.
Ohms Law states the relationship between volts, amps,
and ohms. It can be presented in three ways:
Amps = Volts Ohms
Ohms = Volts Amps
Volts = Amps x Ohms
Example: If a generating source has a voltage of 100 volts
and the circuits resistance is 30 ohms, the amperage will
be 3.3 amps.
117
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word power
The Power Equation states the relationship between
volts, amps, and watts. It can be presented in three ways:
Volts x Amps = Watts
Watts Amps = Volts
Watts Volts = Amps
Example: A lightbulb running at 120 volts and drawing 1
amp is using energy at the rate of 120 watts.
You may think that Im an electrical terminology genius.
In fact, Im a fairly ordinary word nerd and RE maniac who
is interested in renewable energy terms. I think its
important to use terminology carefully, and I sympathize
with people who are new to these terms, since they can be
very confusing.
Each column I write is a learning experience for me. I
rely heavily on a string of people who are smarter than I am
when I research and write my columns. I would like to
thank all of my reviewers for their help over the years, and
especially Bill Beaty, Hugh Piggott, Clay Eals, Mac
McIlvaine, Johann Beda, Allison Bailes, Windy Dankoff, and
my dad. I couldnt do this without them.
After quite a few months of work (some) and
procrastination (more), and help from a variety of sources
and reviewers, HP is putting a glossary of renewable energy
terms on our Web site. It is available for free download or
perusal. This document is a work in progress, and I
welcome your suggestions for improvement. You can see it
at: www.homepower.com/glossary
Access
Ian Woofenden, PO Box 1001, Anacortes, WA98221
ian.woofenden@homepower.com
The Way We Were
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118
home power 100 / april & may 2004
home & heart
The Lowdown
on Pasteup
Stories from HPs Early Days
Kathleen Jarschke-Schultze
2004 Kathleen Jarschke-Schultze
As Home Power hits its 100th issue, Ive been thinking
about the early days of the magazine. It was between HP16
and HP17 that Bob-O and I moved to the creek, our present
home near Hornbrook, California. Since we had the biggest
house of everyone involved with the magazine, pasteup
was held in our front room every two months. It was
always a whole days worth of work, and afterwards,
dinner and relaxation.
In the Beginning
In the beginning, Home Power magazine was printed on a
local web press, the kind that prints newspapers. Every part
of every page of the magazine was physically assembled onto
pasteup boards that the printer photographed with a copy
camera to make film negatives. The printer then used the film
to burn the image onto aluminum lithography plates,
which were used for the actual printing.
Articles were typeset on computers (really early Macs).
Pages were then printed out on a special paper used for
pasteup. Advertisements were either constructed on the
computers or they came in by mail, and they were also
prepared for pasteup. Text and art for both articles and ads
were separate items that did not meet until they were
pasted up.
Pasteup
Pasteup was a ritual. The day would start early with
every flat surface in the room being cleared and scrubbed.
We had two long tables, like the kind used at church socials.
We placed these strategically, one in the middle of the room,
the other behind the couch that defined the living room area.
We had a desk with a portable, slanted desktop placed on
top. Richard brought his own folding, slant-top desk. These
were positioned by windows for the best light, and had their
own lamps to bootcompact fluorescents, of course.
At first, Richard was the only one to actually paste up
the pages. But with HP19, the first color cover issue, Richard
began training Bob-O for page pasting as well.
Before touching anything, everyone, especially Richard
and Bob-O, washed their hands with Dawn dishwashing
liquid. Several times. No surgeon would have been more
thorough. The large artist portfolio that contained the
printed pages, photos, and ad materials was placed on one
of the large tables for Karen to organize and prep.
First came the mixing of the thinner and rubber cement
adhesive used on the pages. It had to be just the right
consistency. Karen was in charge of that. She set up the other
long table for painting the adhesive onto the pages and
materials. Next, all the tools of pasteup were brought to the
ready. They were carefully cleaned and placed by their
respective desk stations. Large gummy erasers, T squares,
lamps, glasses, markers, X-acto knives, and transparent
rulers were all put in their places.
When pasteup actually began, it was a steady rhythm of
movement. First the back of each printed page was
completely painted with adhesive and given to Richard or
Bob-O at their stations. These pages were placed on the base
sheet, which held four individual pages. These had to be in
a specific (non-numeric) order and position so that when
our printer, Valley Web, printed the pages, they would be in
the correct order.
For each page, the back of the appropriate ads, graphics,
and photos were also painted with rubber cement and
brought to Richard and Bob-O. These needed to be carefully
attached, nice and straight, to the pages. As they worked on
that sheet, the next sheet would be gummed and that pages
material set out to be ready.
When they finished a four-page sheet, Karen whisked it
(very carefully) into a fresh cardboard portfolio. As the
number of pages in each issue grew, friends and neighbors,
and at times even I, assisted in the process.
My Kitchen
My place was in the kitchen. I supplied finger foods to
keep everyones strength up. It was great for me. I love
planning meals and treats. I would always provide some
known crew favorites, and I would try some new hors
doeuvres each time. Not being a perfectionist, pasteup was
best left out of my hands.
I kept a smaller folding table constantly supplied with
food and drinks. When there was a slight break in the
action, any of the crew could readily find refreshment.
Meanwhile in the kitchen, I was cooking the main meal
of the daythe dinner where we all sat down together
119
www.homepower.com
home & heart
when the work was done. Admittedly that was the best part
of the day for me. We could all relax and talk. It was just a
big family meal around one of the long tables.
Sometimes the Wizard or our neighbor Stan would show
up. It was a time to socialize, to gather. When I think of those
days of the small Home Power crew and the times we spent
together, I miss it.
Mail Stop
When the issue was due to be delivered from the
printer, we got together again. In preparation for that
rendezvous, Richard spent literally days printing out
mailing labels on a dot matrix printer. We would all meet
down at the Hornbrook post office at midmorning. Soon
the truck from Valley Web Printers would show up, and
the work began.
The magazines were unloaded from the printers truck
into our pickup trucks. Backing up to the back porch of the
post office, we used the tailgates of our pickups as tables.
One group put all the first class subscriptions into manila
envelopes. These already had their labels attached. They
were sealed and stacked and put on a postal cart for Elden,
our postmaster, to process. The other group put labels on all
the third class subs. These were then stacked and bagged by
zip codenot each and every zip code, but a range of codes
for a geographical area. These too went onto carts for Elden
to process. This took several hours.
All the leftover issues were left in their boxes. The boxes
were marked with their issue number on all sides with a
black marker. Earlier issues didnt have boxes; they were
bundled and tied with white cotton string. They did not
need marking. All the leftovers were now considered back
issues. They were loaded into the pickups and brought back
to be stored in our basement.
Bettys Kitchen
After we finished mailing, we
walked across the parking lot over a
small walkway and into Bettys
Country Kitchen. Bettys husband Bob
was the waitress. It was an ongoing
joke with him. It was a tiny little place.
Along one wall was a free library.
Bring a book or take a book. No one
kept track.
We would all order the same
thingBettys cheeseburger and fries.
Real cheeseburgers, with fresh sliced
onions and tomatoes. Real fries, made
right then, with the skins still on.
Lunch could easily take an hour-and-
a-half. Not because the food was slow
in comingit wasnt. It was because
we lingered and talked. Not just
among ourselves, but with Betty and
Bob and any locals who happened to
be there. Gustatory memories can be
very strong. I can almost taste that
food now.
I know it seems like we spent a lot of time eating. But
that is what we did when we got together. We would work
hard and then eat together. The basic and ancient ritual of
friends is breaking bread together.
Now the magazine goes to the publisher on disk, and the
digital files are transferred direct-to-plate without
cameras or film. The subscriptions are mailed from the
printer in Wisconsin, where they have their own postmaster
and postal station on premises. I send my column in by e-
mail. It is now rarer that we can all get together anymore.
That time and closeness has passed, as all things do. Home
Power magazine is bigger than we ever dreamed. I can say I
was there in the early days.
Access
Kathleen Jarschke-Schultze is busy in her organic garden
and orchard at her home in northernmost California. c/o
Home Power magazine, PO Box 520, Ashland, OR 97520
kathleen.jarschke-schultze@homepower.com
Bob-O laboring over a four-page pasteup sheet of Home Power, circa 19911992.
When it comes to
energy efficient DC
lights, we dont
horse around.
Montana Light
Bud Says,
Made In Montana, U.S.A.
Product of
Light It Technologies
P.O. Box 1292
Dillon, MT 59725
406-683-2697
120
home power 100 / april & may 2004
Advertise in
Since 1987, Home Power has been connecting manufacturers, resellers,
and installers to end users of clean energy technologies.
Today, more than 80 percent of our readers live on-grid and over 70 percent of them will be installing both
solar-electric and solar hot water systems. And that's just the beginning...
Home Power readers are also purchasing wind and microhydro power systems, energy efficient appliances,
green building products, and low or no emissions vehicles.
Give the people what they want. Advertise in Home Power!
For all the details, contact Connie Said at advertising@homepower.com phone: 541.512.0201
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New England's
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2 Days of Music on
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home power 100 / april & may 2004
RE happenings
INTERNATIONAL
Solar On-Line (SL) Internet courses on
PV, green building, & international
development. SL, PO Box 217,
Carbondale, CO 81623 720-489-3798
info@solenergy.org www.solenergy.org
Solar Energy International online
courses: PV Design, & Solar Home
Design. Info: see SEI in Colorado listings.
CANADA
Alberta Sustainable Home/Office,
Calgary. Open last Sat. every month 14
PM, private tours available. Cold-climate,
conservation, RE, efficiency, etc. 9211
Scurfield Dr. NW, Calgary, AB T3L 1V9
403-239-1882 jdo@ecobuildings.net
www.ecobuildings.net
CHINA
Apr. 79, 04; REAsia 2004, Beijing.
Marketing RE in Asia. Info: Vivian Li,
Grace Fair Intl. Ltd. Room 1311 Tower A,
Zhongyun Bldg., Wangjing New Industrial
Zone, Chaoyang Dist., Beijing 100102,
China ++86-10-64390338 Fax: ++86-10-
64390339 vivian@gracefair.com
www.gracefair.com
CUBA
Apr. 1018, 04; Cubasolar RE Conference,
Guantanamo, Cuba. RE, energy
education, rural electrification, efficiency,
eco-tourism, & more. Info: Rachel
Bruhnke, 800-497-1994 ext. 354
Rachel@globalexchange.org
www.globalexchange.org
FRANCE
May 2023, 04; Rallye Phebus 2004,
Southern France Solar Vehicle Rally;
Puigcerda, Spain to Toulouse, France.
Info: Rallye PHEBUS 2004, Le Ploumail,
09600 DUN, France 05 61 68 62 17
laurent.koechlin@obs-mip.fr
www.phebus-ariege.org
GERMANY
May 1114, 04; Wind Energy Intl. Trade
Fair; Hamburg Fair Site. Info: Hamburg
Messe und Congress GmbH, PO Box 30
24 80, 20308 Hamburg, Germany
+49 40 3569 2123
info@windenergy-hamburg.de
www.windenergy-hamburg.de
U.S.A.
American Wind Energy Assoc. Info about
U.S. wind industry, membership, small
turbine use, & more. www.awea.org
Info on state & federal incentives for RE.
North Carolina Solar Center, Box 7401
NCSU, Raleigh, NC 27695 919-515-3480
www.dsireusa.org
Ask an Energy Expert: online or phone
questions to specialists. Energy
Efficiency & RE Network (EREN)
800-363-3732 www.eere.energy.gov
Stand-Alone PV Systems Web site:
design practices, PV safety, technical
briefs, battery & inverter testing. Sandia
Labs www.sandia.gov/pv
ARIZONA
Apr. 3, 04; Solar Potluck & Exhibition;
Catalina State Park, Tucson. Bring solar
ovens &/or a dish to share. Music, solar-
cooked samples, camping. Info: Bill
Cunningham 520-885-7925
cuningham@dakotacom.net
Scottsdale. Exhibits, keynotes,
entertainment, kids activities, displays, &
demos. Info: 928-649-8180
belle@solfestsouthwest.org
Scottsdale, AZ. Living with the Sun; free
energy lectures, 3rd Thurs. each month,
7 PM, City of Scottsdale Urban Design
Studio. Dan Aiello 602-952-8192; or AZ
Solar Center www.azsolarcenter.org
CALIFORNIA
Connected Solar Electric Systems.
Humboldt State Univ., Arcata, CA. For
homes or businesses. Info: HSU Office of
Extended Education 707-826-3731
Apr. 1617, 04; Utility Interactive PV
workshop San Diego. System design,
components, site analysis, & system
sizing. Info: see SEI in Colorado listings.
Apr. 2730, 04; Hydrogen: A Clean
Energy Choice; Los Angeles. National
Hydrogen Assoc. conference & expo.
Info: NHA,1800 M St. NW #300,
Washington, DC 20036 202-223-5547
Fax: 202-223-5537
HydrogenConference@ttcorp.com
www.hydrogenconference.org
Jun. 2426, 04; INTERSOL 2004;
Freiburg, Germany. Solar energy industry
exposition & conference. Info: Solar
Promotion GmbH, PO Box 100 170, D-
75101 Pforzheim ++49 (0) 7231 / 35 13
80 dufner@intersolar.de
www.intersolar.de
Oct. 2124, 04; RENEXPO 2004;
Augsburg. Hydro power, decentralization,
biofuels, solar, biogas, energy-efficient
construction. Info: Erneuerbare Energien
Kommunikations und Information
Service GmbH, Unter den Linden 15
72762 Reutlingen, Germany +49 (0)71
21-30 16-0 Fax: +49 (0)71 21 - 30 16 -100
redaktion@energie-server.de
www.energy-server.com
ITALY
May 2022, 04; Solar Expo; Verona.
Exhibits & speakers on biofuels, biogas,
solar thermal, PV, hydro, wind,
geothermal, alternative vehicles & fuels,
& hydrogen. Info: ExpoEnergie, Piazzetta
Trento e Trieste 10/b, 32032 Feltre Bl.,
Verona, Italy 0439 84 76 52
info@solarexpo.com
www.solarexpo.com
Sep. 30Oct. 2, 04; Eolica Expo
Mediterranean; Rome. Expo &
conference on utility-scale wind power.
Info: Solar Energy Group, Via Antonio
Gramsci 63, 20032 Cormano (MI), Italy
+39 0266301754 info@eolicaexpo.com
www.eolicaexpo.com
KENYA
Jun. 19, 04 in Kisumu; Sep. 18, 04 in
Mombasa; & Dec. 18, 04, place TBA.
Regional energy fairs. Info: Solarnet, PO
Box 76406-00508, Nairobi, Kenya
254-20-572656, 565027
david@solarnet-ea.org
www.solarnet-ea.org
NICARAGUA
Jul. 1930, 04 (again Jan. 314, 05);
Solar/Cultural Course. Managua.
Lectures, field experience, & eco-tourism.
Info: Richard Komp 207-497-2204
sunwatt@juno.com
www.grupofenix.org
SPAIN
May 1619, 04; SCELL-2004: Badajoz,
Spain. Intl. Conf. on science of solar. Info:
Formatex Research Center
Fax: +34/924/258-615
scell-2004@formatex.org
www.formatex.org/scell2004/scell2004.
htm
Apr. 810, 04; Understanding Grid-
Apr. 17-18, 04; SolFest Southwest;
123
www.homepower.com
RE happenings
Arcata, CA. Campus Center for
Appropriate Technology, Humboldt State
Univ. Workshops & presentations on
renewable & sustainable living. CCAT,
HSU, Arcata, CA 95521 707-826-3551
ccat@axe.humboldt.edu
www.humboldt.edu/~ccat
COLORADO
May 1415, 04; Solar Home Design for
Net-Zero Energy. PV, solar thermal,
passive solar. Info: see SL Energy in
International listings.
May 2122, 04; PV Systems Design & the
NEC. Learn to design code-compliant PV
systems. Info: see SL Energy in
International listings.
Sep. 27Oct. 5, 04; Sustainable
Resources 2004: Solutions to World
Poverty; Boulder. Grassroots conf. on
sustainable development, technology, &
use of resources. Info: Sustainable
Resources Conference, 717 Poplar Ave.,
Boulder, CO 80304 303-998-1323 or
888-317-1600
info@sustainableresources.org
www.sustainableresources.org
YouthCamp-Us; RE camp for teens. Jul. &
Aug. sessions. Lectures, labs, hiking, &
more. Apprenticeships available,
campers & volunteers wanted. Info: Ed
Eaton, Our Sun Solar, PO Box 1876,
Paonia, CO 81428 970-948-5304
hareef99@yahoo.com
www.youthcamp-us.org
Carbondale, CO. SEI hands-on
workshops & online distance courses on
PV, solar pumping, wind power, micro-
hydro, solar H
2
O, alternative fuels, green
building, womens courses, & online
distance courses. Solar Energy
International, PO Box 715, Carbondale,
CO 81623 970-963-8855
sei@solarenergy.org
www.solarenergy.org
IOWA
Prairiewoods & Cedar Rapids, IA. Iowa
RE Assoc. meets 2nd Sat. every month at
9 AM. Call for changes. IRENEW, PO Box
3405, Iowa City, IA 52244 563-432-6551
irenew@irenew.org www.irenew.org
KENTUCKY
Mt. Vernon, KY. Appalachia: Science in
the Public Interest. Projects & demos in
solar electricity, solar hot water,
gardening, sustainable forestry, more.
ASPI, 50 Lair St., Mt. Vernon, KY 40456
606-256-0077 solar@a-spi.org
www.a-spi.org
MICHIGAN
Urban Enviro Discussion, Ferndale, MI.
2nd Wed. each month, 7 PM.
Sustainability, energy efficiency &
conservation, RE, & green building.
Potluck. The GreenHouse, 22757
Woodward #210, Ferndale, MI 48220
313-218-1628
www.hometown.aol.com/ecadvocate
Intro to Solar, Wind, & Hydro. West
Branch, MI. 1st Fri. each month. System
design & layout for homes or cabins.
Info: 989-685-3527
gotter@m33access.com
MINNESOTA
May 12, 04; Living Green Expo, St. Paul.
Workshops & vendors on RE,
conservation, transportation, building,
etc. Info: 612-331-1099
www.livinggreenexpo.org
Jul. 2325, 04 (again Jul. 30Aug. 1);
Straw Bale Construction wkshp; St.
Cloud. Info: see MREA in Wisconsin
listings.
MISSOURI
Apr. 22, 04; Earth Day Clean Energy
Show; New Bloomfield, MO. RE off-grid,
wind, microhydro, PV, biodiesel, solar
H
2
O, & more. Info: Missouri RE Center,
800-228-5284 www.moreenergy.org
NEW JERSEY
Apr. 1718, 04: Grid-Connected Solar
Electric systems workshop for home or
small business. Brookdale College,
Lincroft, NJ. Info: see SEI in Colorado
listings. Local coordinators: Gaurav Naik
guarav@geogenix.com Brian Kelly
brian@seabrightsolar.com.
NEW MEXICO
May 37 04; Natural House Building,
Kingston, NM. Building with straw bale,
adobe, pressed block, cob, & natural
plasters. Info: see SEI in Colorado
listings.
NEW YORK
Apr. 1217, 04; PV Design & Installation,
Woodstock, NY. System design,
components, site analysis, system sizing,
& a hands-on installation. Info: see SEI in
Colorado listings.
May 7, 04; Long Island Solar Energy
Conf.; Long Island, NY. PV booths, energy
efficiency, NABCEP certification info,
green pricing, PV design & architectural
issues, & more. Info: Solar Energy
Center, Farmingdale State Univ., 2350
Broadhollow Rd., Farmingdale, NY 11735
631-420-2450
http://info.lu.farmingdale.edu/depts/met/
solar/solarLI2004.html
Jun. 26Jul. 3, 04; Natural Building
Colloquium; East Bath, NY. Exhibition,
workshops, presentations, & lectures on
natural building & sustainable
technologies incl. RE. Info: Gaiatecture
Design, 585-624-2540
gaiatecture@hotmail.com
www.gaiatecture.com
NORTH CAROLINA
Apr. 2324, 04; Electricity from the Wind
wkshp; Raleigh. Classroom, hands-on, &
a wind turbine raising. Info: NC Solar
Center, Box 7401 NCSU, Raleigh, NC
27695 919-513-7644
tim_dunn@ncsu.edu
www.ncsc.ncsu.edu
Saxapahaw, NC. How to Get Your Solar-
Powered Home. Call for dates. Solar
Village Institute PO Box 14, Saxapahaw,
NC 27340 336-376-9530
info@solarvillage.com
www.solarvillage.com
OREGON
Apr. 24, 04; Family Earth Day Event &
Energy Fair, Douglas County Fairgrounds,
OR. Speakers & booths on sustainable
energy, & family events. Info: Al Walker,
Energy Independence Co. 541-496-3987
alwalker@mcsi.net
Jul. 1014, 04; SOLAR 2004; Portland.
American Solar Energy Society national
conference. Info: ASES 303-443-3130
ext.103 www.ases.org
bchowe@ases.org
Jul. 2527, 04; SolWest RE Fair, John
Day, OR. Exhibitors, workshops,
Electrathon racing, music, & more. Info:
EORenew, PO Box 485, Canyon City, OR
97820 541-575-3633 info@solwest.org
www.solwest.org
Cottage Grove, OR. Adv. Studies in
Appropriate Tech., 10 weeks, 14 interns
per quarter. Aprovecho Research Center,
80574 Haxelton Rd., Cottage Grove, OR
97424 541-942-0302 apro@efn.org
www.efn.org/~apro
124
home power 100 / april & may 2004
RE happenings
PENNSYLVANIA
Penn. Solar Energy Assoc. meeting info:
PO Box 42400, Philadelphia, PA 19101
610-667-0412 rose-bryant@erols.com
RHODE ISLAND
Jun. 5, 04; RI Sustainable Living Festival
& RE Expo; Coventry, RI. Exhibits,
vendors, artists, kids' stuff. Info: Apeiron
Inst., 451 Hammet Rd., Coventry, RI
02816 401-397-3430 info@apeiron.org
www.apeiron.org
TENNESSEE
Apr. 2124, 04; Solar Electric Design;
Summertown, TN (The Farm). Basic PV,
hardware, system design, installation, &
troubleshooting. Info: Ed Eaton, Our Sun
Solar, PO Box 1876, Paonia, CO 81428
970-948-5304 hareef99@yahoo.com
www.youthcamp-us.org
TEXAS
El Paso Solar Energy Assoc. meets 1st
Thurs. each month. EPSEA, PO Box
26384, El Paso, TX 79926 915-772-7657
epsea@txses.org www.epsea.org
Houston RE Group: e-mail for meeting
times: HREG hreg@txses.org
www.txses.org/hreg
UTAH
Apr. 1217, 04; PV Design & Installation,
Salt Lake City, UT. System design,
components, site analysis, system sizing,
& hands-on installation. Info: see SEI in
Colorado listings.
WASHINGTON STATE
Apr. 810, 04; Grid-Tied PV Design &
Installation workshop, Guemes Island,
WA. System design, components, site
analysis, system sizing, & hands-on
installation. Info: see SEI in Colorado
listings. Local info: (see below).
Apr. 1217, 04; Home Built Wind
Generators workshop with Hugh Piggott,
Guemes Island, WA. Building wind
generators from scratch; blade carving,
winding alternators, assembly, & testing.
Info: see SEI in Colorado listings. Local
coordinator: Ian Woofenden 360-293-
7448 ian.woofenden@homepower.com
Apr. 18, 04; Intro to RE workshop,
Guemes Island, WA. Solar, wind, &
microhydro for homeowners. Lectures &
tours. Info: see SEI in Colorado listings.
Local info: (see above).
WISCONSIN
June 1820, 04; RE & Sustainable Living
Fair (aka MREF); Custer, WI. Exhibits,
workshops on solar, wind, water, green
building, alternative fuels, organic
gardening, energy efficiency, & healthy
living. Home tours, silent auction, Kids
Korral, entertainment, keynote speaker.
See below for MREA access.
MREA workshops. Apr. 34, Custer: Int.
PV; Jun. 56, Ashland, WI: Basic PV; Jun.
1213, Ashland, WI Int. PV; Jun. 1217,
Custer: Womens PV. Also, Alternative
Construction, Intermediate PV, Solar
Domestic Hot Water, & Solar Space
Heating. Info: MREA, 7558 Deer Rd.,
Custer, WI 54423 715-592-6595
mreainfo@wi-net.com
www.the-mrea.org
Send your renewable
energy event info to
happs@homepower.com
The Book on
Solar
Cookers
Back by Popular
Demand
A second edition,
fully updated
and revised.
Includes:
A history as well as a whos who in the
solar-cooking movement
Guidelines for designing your own cooker
Plans for building the SunStar cooker
with salvaged and inexpensive materials
Tips and tricks for cooking with the sun
With 200 Photographs & Diagrams
Call Home Power Publishing
800-707-6585
Outside USA 541-512-0201
Visa, MasterCard, Discover, & American Express
$15
S&H: $5, Canada: $6
International: $10
125
www.homepower.com
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOLUTIONS!
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If you have a reasonably fast running stream or tide
nearby and 12 of water clear, Aquair UW Submersible
Generator can produce 60 to 100 Watts continuously, up
to 2.4 KWH per day. NO TURBINES, NO
DAMS, NO PIPES! Water speed 5
mph (brisk walk) = 60W. 8 mph
(slow jog) = 100W. Timber, rock, or
natural venturi increases output.
12 or 24
VDC
Jack Rabbit
Energy Systems
425 Fairfield Ave.,
Stamford, CT 06902
800-473-3981
info@jrenergy.com
User Friendly Hydro Power
Alternative Power & Machine
4040 Highland Ave. Unit #H Grants Pass, OR 97526 541-476-8916
altpower@grantspass.com
www.apmhydro.com
hupsolarone.com
The Better Built Battery with an
awesome NEW 10 year warranty!
7 year FREE replacement, 3 Year prorated.
2100 cycles at 80% DOD
Sun Earth
Perihelion Jan. 4, 2004
147.5 million miles away
Aphelion July 5, 2004
152.6 million miles away
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HP letters
Buying Utility Wind Energy
Hi, I just read my first issue, HP98 , cover to cover,
including all of the ads. I realized after reading it, that I
never want to touch a battery, try to figure out how to read
electrical plans, or go to the trouble to move where I would
be allowed to erect a 75 foot tower. What looked easy to me
was to install one of the air ducts I saw advertised to
circulate heat from the attic into the house. What I am very
excited about is that my electric company here in New
Mexico just offered me the option of getting 90 percent of
my electricity from wind! My normal bill is about US$20 a
month, and it will go up to US$23only US$3 extra a month
to get wind electricity! This seems awesome to me. Am I
naive to think that this is awesome?
I called the utility and asked where the electricity comes
from. They use electricity from 136 wind generators on
towers that are 21 stories tall. They sell extra energy to other
states and companies when it is not being used here. They
are 1.5 megawatt GE wind turbines, and it is the third
largest wind generating facility in the country. Right now 85
percent of the wind energy is being sold to other states
because not many people in New Mexico have heard that
they can sign up for it. You can check it out on their Web site
(www.pnm.com) and look under Sky Blue.
I realize that this may not be perfect, but hey, if today I
can choose electricity from wind instead of a nonrenewable
resource, I think its so awesome. And I am glad not to
have to build anything to do it. Let me know if I am
missing something here. Suzanne Hruschka
suzhru@netzero.com
Hi Suzanne, No, you are not missing anything. The New
Mexico wind program is awesome, and folks should buy into it
to encourage more of the same. I have seen the systems that
circulate attic heat into the house. The problem with them is that
the attic is usually hot at times when household heating is not
needed. A better project is to use solar hot air collectors, instead
of attic heat. See HP98 for an intro article on it, and HP99 for
a second part on that subject, with more do-it-yourself
information.
The idea of installing your own solar or wind-electric
system can be quite daunting. That is why we recommend that
most folks use a reputable installer. Please dont yet dismiss the
idea of making your own electricity. It is a fun and important
way to make a difference. Keep reading Home Power, and
pretty soon you may get hooked. Michael Welch
michael.welch@homepower.com
Seeking RE Folk in Indiana
Dear Home Power, I live in central Indiana and am very
interested in solar energy. I just moved to a home on 2 acres
in the middle of a cornfield. I have two, 85 watt BP-585
panels, a C40 charge controller, and an Exeltech 1100
inverter. I plan to replace my four T-105 batteries with L-16s
soon. The problem is that Indiana is like nonexistent for
people who have the slightest idea of what solar energy is.
The government is about as bad. I have already been called
nuts for spending all that money when electricity is already
hooked to the house and so cheap.
What I would like to know is, are there going to be any
energy fairs or workshops in the central Indiana area in the
near future? I love your magazine and look forward to every
issue. You have opened my eyes to a lot of fascinating
things. Keep up the good work. I would like to talk to more
people in Indiana who like solar energy as much as I do.
Thanks, Mike Lynas, Elwood, Indiana
lampsandbarns@yahoo.com
Hi Mike, I am not aware of any fairs and workshops that have
happened in Indiana in recent years. But definitely check out the
Midwest Renewable Energy Association in Wisconsin. Their
energy fair every summer solstice is worth the trip! They have
great workshops as well. Wouldnt it be great if some Indiana folks
could hook up and start an RE advocacy organization in your
state? Michael Welch michael.welch@homepower.com
Pump Soft Start
I read Kirk Wishowskis question about running an AC
well pump off-grid in HP98s Q&A column. There is a
simple solution to this problem. I have used it for both well
pumps and air conditioners: Use the Baldor S23CA soft
start. See www.baldor.com. This device limits the current
and works well with the Xantrex SW-series inverters. Bill
Kaszeta, Photovoltaic Resources, Tempe, Arizona
bill@kaszeta.org
Consider Perihelion
Despite our attention to science and the earths
temperature, few are aware that the sun is 7 percent stronger
in January than July. Perihelion, on January 4, 2004, is when
the elliptical orbit of earth brings us 3
1
/2 percent closer to the
sun than in July.
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HP letters
Our calendar balances on the solstices, but perihelion is
not connected to the solstices. Perihelion slowly moves to
later dates; on average, 25 minutes later each year, one day
later in 57 years, a complete cycle in 21,000 years. The
movement is jerkysome years moving forward a day or
two, some backbut the progress is very predictable over
many years. The solstices, equinoxes, and eclipses are easy
to see. Perihelion can be identified only with exact
instruments. Though the climate we live in is a consequence
of perihelion, we have only known about it since Johannes
Kepler discovered the earths elliptical orbit in the
seventeenth century AD.
Perihelion moves through our calendar like a giant
century hand. It moves fast enough; one day in a lifetime
for us to recognize its movements, yet so slowly it makes
us giddy to consider the vast momentum of its drowsy
progress. In perihelion time, the atom bomb was
invented a day ago, the steam engine a week ago, and fire
a year or two ago. We might remember that perihelion
coinciding with winter in the Northern Hemisphere is a
big favor we enjoy that will pass. Steve Baer, Zomeworks
Corporation
Solar Powered Atomic Waste Dump?
Dear Home Power, I read with much interest Michael
Welchs report this summer from his tour of Yucca
Mountain, Nevada, the federal governments proposed
burial site for U.S. high-level radioactive waste from nuclear
power reactors and the nuclear weapons complex.
Id love to share a story that Judy Treichel of the
grassroots Nevada Nuclear Waste Task Force in Las Vegas
tells as she travels the country opposing the dump. She
explains that the radioactive waste would be so thermally
hot that it would likely damage the burial containers as well
as the surrounding rock, thus accelerating the already
inevitable release of radioactivity into the drinking water
supply below.
The U.S. Department of Energy has proposed a system
of industrial-sized ventilation fans to exchange the air
within the tunnels, thereby cooling the waste. But the
ventilation system would have to work for several centuries,
until the heat dissipates. Thus they need a long-lasting and
reliable source of electricity.
What, you might ask, has DOE proposed as the
electricity source? You guessed it, a wind farm and a
mountainside of solar-electric panels! As Judy says, itd be
the worlds first solar-powered atomic waste dump. Why
werent solar and wind energy used instead of nuclear
energy to generate the electricity in the first place, thus
avoiding the generation of the radioactive waste?
As Michael Keegan of the Coalition for a Nuclear-Free
Great Lakes in Michigan says, Electricity is but the fleeting
byproduct of nuclear reactors. The actual product is forever
deadly radioactive waste. And of course, if billions more
dollars of taxpayer money are sunk into the nuclear energy
industrys renaissance (better described as a relapse),
those are energy research and development dollars that
much more worthy wind, solar, and other renewable,
conservation, and efficiency industries will never see. Kevin
Kamps, Nuclear Waste Specialist, Nuclear Information and
Resource Service (NIRS), 1424 16th St. NW Suite 404,
Washington, DC 20036 202-328-0002 ext. 14
kevin@nirs.org www.nirs.org
Grid as Generator
Weve been avid readers and fans since HP1. Kudos to all
of you for such a wonderful magazine. Weve lived off-grid
for more than two decades, now. We used a Honda
generator to supplement our (at first) meager PV system. As
we added to the system (and to our lights, appliances, etc.),
we found that we used the generator more and more in the
winter to supplement the PVs. During the summer, we used
the generator to irrigate a forest garden. Our field garden is
irrigated by a PV/battery system and a Dankoff pump, but
is too far from the other forest site to be of help.
Well, in early September we had grid electricity run in
from the electric co-op. We use it as we would our backup
generator. It cost us US$90 for connection fees to the co-op
and another US$300 or so for the necessary meter and circuit
box, circuits, conduit, and wiring. We now pay a fee of
US$14 each month to belong to the co-op and to be able to
purchase electricity from them at 6.5 cents per KWH. We
used 170 KWH up to the winter solstice.
Sometimes I feel like Ive sold out. But then again, I
wasnt comfortable hauling gasoline and listening to the
brute of a generator insistently whining when we needed
backup. What do you think? We just installed a Prosine 2.5
sine wave inverter to replace our old Heart Interface
Freedom 2000. This unit doesnt hum like the other and has
cleaner output. I need something else to run the meter
backwards in summer, yes? We have energy to spill off quite
often from April through October or so.
Thanks again to all of you. We met Richard and Karen
Perez many years ago at the first Midwest Renewable
Energy Fair, and hope to see some of you there again this
summer if we can break away at that time. Peace on all of
your houses, and on Earth. Bruce Brummitt & Cheryl Valois,
Smoky Hills State Forest, Northern Minnesota
Hello Bruce and Cheryl, Its great to hear from you again!
Your experiences exactly parallel ours. I see nothing wrong with
using utility electricity instead of a generatorits cheaper,
cleaner, and more convenient. If I could plug into a utility here at
a reasonable price, I would do so. I would also maintain my
batteries so I had electricity during utility outages. And, like you,
Id go shopping for a utility intertie inverter so I could put my
summer surplus on grid for others to use. Life with RE is like life
in generalconstant change. Either roll with it, or it rolls over
you. Richard Perez richard.perez@homepower.com
Battery Concerns
I am considering powering my house with solar energy,
since I am a nature lover and really do not enjoy harming
the environment. When I was doing my research, I realized
that every Web site was promoting solar panels for the
health of the earth, but what every site failed to mention
waswhat do we do with all the batteries when they are no
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HP letters
longer useable? I also noticed that a batterys lifespan is only
three to five years. If everyone was disposing of batteries
that frequently, the earth would be doomed! Im wondering
if there is a way to safely recycle or dispose of the batteries.
And is there a battery that is pollution free? Thanks for your
time. Eric Biehn ericjamesbiehn@hotmail.com
Hi Eric. Thanks for doing the right thing by our environment.
Not all solar-electric systems need batteries, but more on that in a
moment. Of all the industries in the U.S., none does a better job at
recycling their old and worn out products than the lead-acid
battery industry. Nearly every battery dealer in the U.S. takes
back their customers old batteries. When you buy a new battery,
you pay a core charge that covers the cost of recycling. This has
been very effective, and results in most batteries using lead that
has seen life in several other batteries previously. The only reason
there is a problem is because some folks are not holding up their
end of the deal, and are throwing batteries away. Folks like you
would never do such a thing.
Only an abused or overused battery will die in three to five
years. My battery bank was secondhand when I got it, and has
worked for me for more than ten years. If you are already on the
utility grid, consider doing a batteryless, grid-intertie solar-
electric system. The way this works is that you still rely on the
grid for energy when the sun is not shining. When the sun is
shining, you turn your electric meter backwards. This is called
net metering, and it allows you to save up your KWH
production credit for when the sun does not shine. Most states
have net metering laws.
Batteryless net metering systems provide the most efficient use
of the solar-electric panels, since they are putting out their max all
the time. With an off-grid battery system, as the batteries get full,
the output of the panels is wasted. The drawback to a batteryless
system is that you will not have electricity when there is a utility
outage.
If you are off-grid, or want to completely disconnect from the
utility, you will need batteries as part of your system so that you
can have electricity when the sun is not shining. Or you can be on-
grid with an intertie system with a battery backup. This works
well if your region suffers from frequent or lengthy utility outages.
There is no such thing as a pollutant-free anything.
Batteries are no exception. Nickel-iron batteries do not have toxic
metals in them, and are less harmful to the environment as a
result. But they are quite expensive if you can find them at all, and
they do not store energy nearly as efficiently as lead-acid batteries.
Let me know if you have any other questions. Michael Welch
michael.welch@homepower.com
Understanding Thermal Mass
In HP99, pg 65, I see an often-cited benefit of high
thermal-mass building materials: Adobe bricks absorb the
suns heat during the sunny winter days. When the
temperature drops at night, the bricks radiate their heat into
the home. Likewise, thermal mass keeps homes cool in the
summer, acting as a heat sink.
Logically, this seems to be a case of stating only the good.
Doesnt thermal mass act as a heat sink during the winter
too? And doesnt it release heat at night during the summer?
Thermal mass would also seem to provide thermal inertia,
making your winter mornings colder as the mass slowly
heats up.
I think I know the answer to my own questions. The
time-lag that thermal mass provides is a lot like the I-V lag
a capacitor causes. So with high thermal mass, your house
wont get as cold as the outside, and wont get as warm
either. This might be bad, depending on your climate. Greg
Bell gregbell@znet.com
Hi Greg, I like the analogy of a battery for thermal massa
thermal battery. People seem to grasp the concept more quickly
with something familiar. The thermal mass is determined by the
weight of the battery and its capacity to hold or carry heat, known
as specific heat. All substances are different. Water has a specific
heat of 1, concrete and brick are about 0.2. It takes about five times
the weight in concrete to equal the same weight in water as far as
the thermal battery capacity is concerned. Thermal mass is also
sometimes expressed as heat capacity in BTUs per cubic foot per
F, which also factors in the density. Water with a specific heat of
1 and density of 62.5 pounds per cubic foot is said to have a
capacity of 62.5 BTUs per cubic foot per F. Brick has a heat
capacity of 0.2 x 120 (lbs./cu.ft) or 24. This makes for an easy
comparison of the different mass amounts.
Youre right Greg, thermal mass can be disadvantageous in
some cases, and this is where good passive design is important.
Shading (charge regulating) the mass with overhangs or trees in
the summer will solve most of the problems with any tendency
to overheat. The heating season charge and discharge times of
the thermal mass is about the same, although this can be
complex and vary depending on many things, including direct
gain or indirect gain, the time of year, the amount of mass
(thickness in many cases), and the heat transfer properties of the
mass. If it takes a full day of winter sun to charge the mass, and
it takes about the same to discharge it, youre right again, the
mass will be relatively cooler in the morning, ready to take
another charge cycle. This brings up another question though
is the mass half full or half empty? Cheers, Chuck Marken
chuck@aaasolar.com
Tilting Large Arrays
I saw the letter in a recent HP about tilting large arrays,
and thought Id add my 2 cents. I havent tried this, but the
problem seems similar to that of raising a wood-framed wall
in new construction, and a couple of tools (besides strong
backs) are used there. Both are referred to as wall jacks.
One uses a mechanical jack (around US$100) that mounts on
a 2 by 4 (Qual-Craft is one manufacturer). The other uses a
come-along mounted on a metal pole (see
www.lynnladder.com/lynlad/lynlad037.htm for an
example). The come-along on a pole model seems like it
could be home-built. Depending on the weight of your
Is the mass half full
or half empty?
Chuck Marken, HP solar thermal editor.
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HP letters
arrays, two jacks could add a measure of safety. The
advantage of both of these options is that they break down
into loads that can be carried and placed by one person.
Warning: Brace the bases securely! Ive seen them kick out,
with spectacular results. Take care, Tim Maxwell
tmacswell@earthlink.net
Responsible Wood Heating
Dear Home Power, Thank you for your informative article
Responsible Wood Heating by John Gulland. I have been
burning wood in my Jotul airtight stove since 1978. Dead
wood on my two acres has been the major source of wood to
heat our home on weekends and evenings in the cold weather.
But since I have retired, I can now keep the home fires
burning more consistently, and save fossil fuel to the furnace.
Thank you for the encouragement! I would like to add
though, that I can also cook anything from eggs to spaghetti
on the stove and never use gas or electricity. And to top it
off, the teakettle is always hot. Staying warm, Liz Murphy,
Stepney, Connecticut Lizasmurphy@aol.com
Net Metering in British Columbia
Hi Guys, Just thought youd like to know that BC Hydro
has applied for net metering from the utilities commission.
See www.bchydro.com/info/epi/epi6814.html. If this
happens, well be able to bank our production with a KWH
credit each month if we make more than we use, and be paid
for surplus KWH annually at Cdn$0.054 per KWH. Keep up
the great work with your magazine! When net metering
comes into effect, Ill be adding some solar-electric panels
and a grid intertie inverter. Peter Ferlow pferlow@shaw.ca
Hello Peter, We have had quite a few inquiries from Canadian
readers lately who want to see more Canuck homes featured in our
magazine. So, once you get going on your grid-tied system, be sure
to take lots of photos, and write this up for us. For more info, see
Writing for Home Power on our Web site. Michael Welch
michael.welch@homepower.com
Other Satellite Internet Options
Richard, I was interested to read of your upgrade to the
new Ethernet version of your StarBand service. The energy
savings of the Ethernet modems as well as the compatibility
with other operating systems than Windows is a huge plus.
I was surprised, however, at the cost of your system. I have
been operating on a USB-based dual modem system from
Direcway (through Earthlink, initially), and the cost of
purchasing and installing the modems was in line with your
original system. However, Direcway has just come out with
their own two-way, Ethernet-based modem system, which
offers a very slick and easy upgrade path from the existing
modems.
I switched our account from Earthlink to Direcway to
take advantage of their better upgrade path and price, and
paid an additional US$324 for the new modem (after a
refund for returning the USB modems). I could have saved
an additional US$100 had I chosen to sign up for 15 months
of service. The monthly cost with Direcway using their
Ethernet modem is actually less than the Earthlink system
(due to not having a dialup account as backupwe never
needed it). The cost is US$59 per month now instead of the
US$69 per month we were paying.
Like your system, our modem draws just 28 watts, and
in tandem with a Linksys wireless router, draws only 35
watts and gives us a wireless network in the home for use
with our two laptops and my wifes flat panel iMac (also an
energy sipper).
As I write this note, Im sitting in the bedroom using the
laptop and running on the laptops battery, which really
makes me feel miserly on energy. With dual batteries in my
Dell laptop, I can run six hours before needing to connect to
AC for a recharge, and thats using the wireless network card.
It makes for great low-power nighttime Internet surfing.
You also mention that you are paying a premium for
higher bandwidth, but Ive found that with the satellite
system Im using, I can get as high as 1.7 megabit/sec
download speeds, with rarely less than 500 kilobit speed,
and 100 kilobit upload speeds. Much of the speed
difference you see in switching to the Ethernet modems is
in the Ethernet connection and its superiority over USB,
along with dumping the PC based proxy software. Our
speed increased noticeably, especially for Maggie with
her iMac across the wireless network. Plus the self-
contained Ethernet modem is simply much more efficient
than the external modems with the PC based proxy used
with the USB systems. Of course, there is always the lag
time from latency, the time it takes for the signal to be
sent to the satellite, down to the Direcway earth station
and through their servers. The round trip adds a couple
of seconds to the response time (I call it the foreign
correspondent effect).
Any Ethernet based modem will support Macs. That is
one of the reasons for my switch to the new Direcway
modem. It works seamlessly with Maggies iMac. So to say
that StarBand is the only one to support Macs is not
accurate.
Our system costs just a bit more than cable or DSL, but
is really our only broadband alternative this far up in the
mountains. I was frankly surprised to see that you pay that
much for satellite service. Direcway also has no limit on the
number of computers that can be networked to the system.
Our local elementary school has networked their whole
computer system (about 20 computers) through their
Direcway Ethernet modem.
Our energy system is doing quite nicely now, ten years
into its life. I pine for an OutBack inverter, but our SW4024
is still plugging along, though with some noise on the line. I
upgraded our battery bank recently to 24 brand new
Interstate-labeled Dynasty AGM batteries12 volt, 100
amp-hour units wired for 24 volts (through our buss bar,
check it out at www.wagonmaker.com). They are working
fine, and cost less than Concordes too. Everything else is still
ticking along. The SolarBoost 50 works great, and on these
cold winter days, our 10-year-old, 1,200 watt array kicks out
more than 1,200 watts, a nice side effect of extreme cold,
clear skies, and snow reflection, in addition to the benefit of
being at 9,000 feet. Tom Elliot telliot@wagonmaker.com
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home power 100 / april & may 2004
HP letters
Simple Instructions Wanted
Home Power should publish instructions for making
simple, inexpensive solar cookers, water heaters, and other
energy efficient devices. These devices should be made of
discarded products such as cans, (beer, pop), milk jugs, old
newspapers, etc. The magazine ought to be an inspirational
guide showing how to recycle junk into valuable solar
conversion products. Anybody can buy a finished product;
few know how to make them. Show them how! Now!
Bozidar Kornic, Shelbyville, Michigan
Hi Bozidar, You are correctfolks should be recycling any
materials they can into usable objects. I am a firm believer in the
axiom reduce, reuse, recycle. However, you should know that we
can only publish what we get, assuming it works and its valuable to
our readers. If you or anyone else would like to submit articles in this
subject area, or any other subject relevant to home-scale RE, please
let us know. Michael Welch michael.welch@homepower.com
Induction vs. Synchronous
I have been bothered a bit by what appears to be
confusion about the technical description of induction
generator versus synchronous generator. Case in point:
the HP96 article on the Crown Hill Farm hydro setup. An
induction generator is the electrical analog of the common
induction motor that is used in all power ranges from sub-
fractional to mega-horsepower. It has a solid armature
(squirrel cage) that is an electrical short circuit, and delivers
electricity by slipping rpms against grid output (that is,
1,720 rpm vs. 1,800).
An induction generator would be the same device,
except driven above the synchronous speed to, say, 1,850
rpm. It will not function except when connected directly to
solid grid output. A synchronous generator on the other
hand, has rotating poles, either DC excited or PM, and
stands on its own at synchronous speed (1,800 rpm, say). It
can be locked to the grid or other generators, but does not
depend on them for excitation. It can be made to work from
watts to gigawatts. I think the difference is worth noting; in
the article in question, it is not clear which type is being
employed. Sincerely, W. Van Aller, PE and K3CZ
wvanaller@hotmail.com
Hello W., Your point is entirely correct, and there is an error
in the sidebar on page 19 of HP96. It should have said Induction
or Synchronous? not Induction or Asynchronous? Induction
generators are asynchronous generators because, as you pointed
out, they operate slightly above synchronous speed. For grid
interconnection, induction generation is a lot easier because you
dont need a synchronizing device that ensures that frequency
and phase are matched with the grid before bridging the two. An
induction generator inherently has a lot of slop because the
field current is magnetically induced in the rotor. In a
synchronous generator, the field current is hard wired. Connect a
synchronous generator to the grid out of phase (even if the
frequency is right), and the generator will lose a fight with the
grid. But an induction generator doesnt care. Chris Greacen
cgreacen@socrates.berkeley.edu
Hello W., The Crown Hill Farms turbines drive an induction
generator. Canyon uses induction generators on smaller systems
designed for connection to the grid. Interface is easy. In fact, if
you want to waste the energy, you can first switch on an
induction generator (motor), have it come up to speed, and then
begin pushing it with the turbine. The water power pushes the
induction motor to design speed, at which time it may begin its
function as a generator.
We use synchronous generators for all our stand-alone
projects. But there has been quite a bit of work using induction
generators as stand-alone generators. They are made to work that
way, but there are a few problems, mostly in voltage regulation.
Regards, Dan New, Canyon Industries CITurbine@aol.com
8 Volt Batteries?
I noticed the photo of the battery bank on page 76 in
HP98 shows the batteries to have four cells. Are these 8 volt
batteries? Are they hooked in series to give 24 volts? Is this
a better way to go for a 24 volt system? Richard F. Curtin
curtin@inreach.com
Hello Richard, Yes, these are 8 volt batteries (four cells in a
case). The batteries are wired three in series to give 24 VDC. Its
better for 24 VDC systems than 6 volt batteries since there is less
interconnect wiring and fewer connections. Richard Perez
richard.perez@homepower.com
Solar Success in Canada
We have been reading your magazine since issue HP11 ,
and for eight years we have been doing off-grid
installations. We finally landed a job in downtown Toronto
and received some publicity in the local newspaper. Mr.
Richard Perez and crew have been a real inspiration to our
company staff and me. We also had the pleasure of meeting
Bob-O at a convention in Las Vegas in December 2003.
It is amazing how far the solar independent energy
business has come in the last ten years. Whats really
amazing is where it is going to goeven in Canada, the land
of long dark winters and no subsidies. Vern Sherwood
vernsherwood@rogers.com www.excessenergy.net
Using Surplus PV Heat
Dear Home Power, Heres some food for thought about
the article titled Solar Hot Air Design in HP98. PVs absorb
and radiate heat as a byproduct of electricity generation
why not try to make use of it? I keep hearing about solar-
electric panels being derated because of higher operating
temperatures. Why not put that hot air to good use and cool
the panels down at the same time? Replace the hot air
collectors with solar-electric panels, using insulated ducting
behind the panels to contain the heated air, and duct it into
your home either through the wall or through the ceiling
and roof. Move the air with a solar powered fana side
benefit is that you only use electricity for the fan when you
need it. I would imagine there would be a gain in the energy
generated from the panels because they are kept at a cooler
operating temperature. With proper ducting, dampers, and
bypasses, the air could be exhausted either into your home,
or if your home is comfortable enough, to the outside,
enabling the panels to operate at a lower than normal
temperature.
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For that matter, how much energy would you lose if you
sandwiched the panel between glass on the front and
insulated ducting on the back, removing heat from both
sides of the panel. Anyone for an add-on industry? Rack
manufacturers could make the ductwork as part of the rack,
and PV manufacturers could sell it as standard equipment,
part of the PV. How about using a heat pump to cool those
panels down? Everything done in the RE industry involves
trade-offs. The big question is, do we get a net overall gain
in the energy used within our homes? Will the losses
associated with putting another glass panel in front of a PV
more than offset the heat recovered from the same panel?
Maybe the panel manufacturers will have to add another
specification indicating the heat generated from each panel
based on the other stated specifications as part of their
rating process. I realize that there may be something I am
missing in doing it this way, but I cant seem to find it.
I thoroughly enjoy reading Home Power, and especially
like reading the tales about Kathleen Jarschke-Schultze and
Bob-O. Keep up the good work and best wishes for the New
Year. Donald McMow drmcmow@telus.net
Hello Donald, There was an attempted commercialization of
this idea in the 1980s. A government contractor (BDM
Corporation) had the same idea. They built a prototype and
installed it on their headquarters in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in
about 1983. It did not generate enough extra electricity and heat
to pay for the costs associated with the extra production and
installation costs. Would it pay today? Its doubtful. The price of
PV modules has been reduced quite a bit in the last twenty years.
If the idea of circulating environmental air to heat a home wasnt
a good value when modules were selling for US$10 per watt, the
idea would seem to be less attractive at US$5 per watt. The lower
cost would leave less margin for the increased efficiency to pay off,
unless the alterations were less expensive today. I dont think that
would be the case. Perhaps the cost to value may be there some day
if some new innovation in module manufacturing is found.
What you might be missing here are the real costs associated
with the manufacture and installation of the modifications. These
costs are probably underestimated more than 95 per cent of the
time in alterations like this. New professional contractors typically
lose money on many of their first jobs because they underestimate
the cost of the material and or laborits just part of the learning
curve, but it happens all the time. I hope that answers your
question. Chuck Marken chuck@aaasolar.com
Send your letters and photos to
Home Power magazine at
letters@homepower.com or
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Since this is Home Powers 100th issue,
I thought that you might enjoy a short
history of the solar energy systems at our
remote home and home office.
132
home power 100 / april & may 2004
Richard Perez
2004 Richard Perez
Back to the Land
In 1970, Karen and I left the city of San Francisco and
headed for our new homestead in the Siskiyou Mountains of
southwestern Oregon. To say we were greenhorns would be
an understatementwe knew virtually nothing about
country living. There are many mistakes that first-timers
make when homesteading, and we made most of them. At
least we made one decision rightbuying property far from
civilization. Our homestead is 6 miles (10 km) from both
utility electricity and telephone service, and 7 miles (11 km)
from the nearest paved road. We were content to do without,
and for many years, doing without is exactly what we did.
For the first seven years, we lived life much as it was
lived a century ago. We hauled our water from a spring
1,500 feet (460 m) from our cabin. We burned kerosene for
light. A woodstove cooked our food and kept us warm. We
worked odd jobs for neighboring ranches, and did what we
had to for survival.
By 1977, the novelty of country living had worn off and
we were ready for some modern conveniences. In
retrospect, I think that hauling water was the straw that
broke the camels back. I figure that during that seven-year
period, I hauled more than 100 tons of water. We also did
without an automobile for five years. This meant that all our
supplies were backpacked or horse packed into our
homestead. This got old after a while....
Power to the Homestead!
With a background in physics and electronics, I figured
that I could at least bring some electricity to our homestead.
Our initial system was modeled after a truck's electrical
system. Aneighbor gave me a 3 hp gas engine and I belted
it up to a junkyard truck alternator. A car battery provided
energy storage. The lightbulbs, sockets, switches, and wire
were scavenged from a local
automotive junkyard. After a few
weeks of work, we had rudimentary
12 volt electricityenough to run
lights at night and power some radios.
This early system consumed about
two quarts of gasoline a week, and
ushered our homestead into the 20th
century.
I read about and drooled over PV
modules, but at that time, we couldnt
afford even one module. After saving
for more than two years, we bought
our first PV module in 1981. What a
revolution! Electricity from sunlight!
We were hooked. During the next few
years, many more modules followed.
Not only did these modules provide us
with simple and clean electricity, but
they also started putting beans on the
table. Our neighbors noticed what we
were doing, and before I knew it, we
were in the business of providing
solar-electric systems for others.
133
www.homepower.com
ozonal notes
Before the big remodelthe Plywood Palace with battery room addition (1992) on the
left, Home Power office addition (1992) on the right, and pantry addition (1997) in back.
The original Plywood Palace, circa 1982
416 square feet and no insulation.
We also continued to add electrical
creature comfortsa well pump
powered by solar electricity, kitchen
appliances, radiotelephones, bi-
directional satellite Internet, and other
communications gear, a home
entertainment system, and power
tools. These days, folks who come to
visit our homestead dont know that
its off-grid unless we tell them. Our
system now has 4.1 KW of PV
installed, and cycles about 15 KWH of
renewable energy per day. Using
renewable energy is a lot like eating
peanutsonce you get started, its
hard to stop.
The evolution of our solar-electric
system paralleled the development of
the entire industry. As modules
became less expensive, we bought
more of them. When sine wave
inverters became available, we deep-sixed all our old
modified square wave models. We bought into the emerging
new electronics technologies, such as amp-hour
instrumentation and MPPT PV controls, and generally kept
our system on the cutting edge. Things got better, more
reliable, and even less expensive.
Solar Thermal Systems
Since I have limited plumbing experience, establishing
the solar thermal systems here was much more difficult than
doing the solar electrics. My background was in electronics,
so using solar electricity seemed simple. The scene was far
more difficult with solar thermal systems. In the case of
solar hot water, first you have to have running water, a
luxury that took us two decades to establish here. Then you
Our system, like just about every early system,
continued to grow. We bought our first inverter in 1984.
Though it was a modified square wave model, it gave us
limited access to standard 120 VAC appliances, such as our
first Macintosh computer. And with this computer came the
desktop publishing technology that, coupled with my
experiences of installing PV systems for others, eventually
gave birth to Home Power magazine.
Over the years, our system grew as we needed more and
more electricity. At one time, all the computer work that
went into Home Power was done at our homestead. We had
as many as eight computerswith peripherals, such as
scanners, printers, etc.working at once. This consumed
many kilowatt-hours per day, and we expanded our system
to meet the demand.
134
home power 100 / april & may 2004
ozonal notes
PV mosaicHome Powers PV history started with just one 59 watt panel (still
working!)and has grown with our needs to over 4 kilowatts.
Four, 4 by 8 foot flat plate solar collectors contribute to the direct gain of the thermal mass floor. In the background, a flat plate
collector and a 20 tube, evacuated-tube collector make hot water on the roof of the bathhouse/greenhouse.
135
www.homepower.com
ozonal notes
have to keep the water systems from
freezing, and it gets cold here in the
winter. In the case of solar space
heating, a tight building envelope, hi-
tech windows, and good insulation are
prerequisites. Our original building
was anything but tight and well
insulated.
Solar Hot Water
Hot running water here is a recent
advancement. It wasnt until Joe
Schwartz and Ben Root built the solar
bathhouse/greenhouse that we had a
space large enough to house this gear
without it freezing up in the winter.
See HP63 and HP64 for a thorough
report on this straw bale, solar
building.
Once we had a home for the solar
hot water gear, we lost little time
installing a shower, a bathtub, and a
washing machine. We installed two
solar hot water systemsone employs a 4 by 10 foot (1.2 x 3
m) flat plate collector, and the other has twenty evacuated
heat-pipe tubes. These collectors are mounted on the roof of
the straw bale bathhouse/greenhouse. Each closed loop
system uses a 50 gallon (190 l) tank for hot water storage.
A propane-fired 30 gallon (115 l) water heater provides
backup for sunless winter months (usually only November
and part of December). Almost all of the time, we have all
the solar hot water we need for the four permanent
residents, and even for the times when we have up to eight
visitors. And during the summer
months, we have a glut of solar hot
watermore than enough for
everyone to shower twice a day if they
wish.
Solar Space Heating
Heating our home with the sun
was tougher to get operational than
heating our domestic water. Our
original 416 square foot (70 m
2
) cabin
was aptly named the Plywood
Palaceall that separated us from the
outside world was a half-inch of
plywood. Trying to do solar space
heating with no insulation, a very
leaky building envelope, and funky,
recycled, single-pane windows is a
joke.
Over the years, this cabin
underwent the typical farmhouse
metamorphosisrooms grew on all
sides. About four years ago, the Home
Power crew took pity on us and rebuilt
the cabin to its present size of 2,300
square feet (215 m
2
). But this expansion was far more than
just more cubic feet under a roof. This time we took the
trouble and spent the money to upgrade the buildings
thermal envelope.
The new building is well insulated, with R-30 in the
walls and R-60 in the ceilings. In addition to putting R-21
fiberglass insulation between the wall studs, we also added
a layer of 1 inch (2.5 cm), double foil backed, foam insulation
on the outside of the building before adding the exterior
siding. And this really paid off far more than adding up the
Properly sized overhangs allow only wintertime sunlight to warm the 6 inch thick
slab floorcats love the natural radiant warmth.
The open floorplan allows natural daylight to illuminate the kitchen,
previously a dark corner, on the north side of the house.
136
home power 100 / april & may 2004
ozonal notes
insulation R-values would indicate, since the rigid
insulation eliminated any thermal coupling between the
inside and outside via the walls framing studs. All the
windows were double pane and located to catch the
maximum amount of winter sun. All of this combined to
make the building a very efficient passive solar home. But
we werent done yet....
We decided to add active solar space heating to the
building. Four solar hot water collectors, each 4 by 8 feet (1.2
x 2.4 m), were mounted on the buildings south facing, 45
degree roof. This is a drainback systemthe panels contain
no water at night or when the sun isnt shining. This system
heats a 32 ton concrete thermal slab on the buildings
ground floor, using PEX tubing embedded in the 6 inch (15
cm) thick slab. This slab is insulated from the earth by 4
inches (10 cm) of rigid, high density insulation. We finished
the slabs surface with beautiful red Spanish tiles, which add
even more thermal mass to the slab.
Once the slab gets warm, we can go for four sunless days
before the house cools down. As long as the sun shines (and
it does most winter days here) the house is cozy warm
regardless of outside temperature. A thermostat rides herd
on the system and prevents overheating in the fall and
spring months. Backup heat is provided by an efficient
wood heater that uses a secondary catalytic combustion
chamber to extract all the heat from the wood burned, and
reduces air pollution at the same time.
The proof of the pudding is in the performance. It gets
cold where we live, with nighttime temperatures falling
well below freezing most every winter night. In the original,
uninsulated cabin, we would burn about five cords of
firewood during a winter. The new 2,300 square foot (215
m
2
) building has used less than a half cord of firewood per
winter for the last three winters running. This is roughly a
fifty-fold performance increasethe building is five times
larger and consumes one-tenth the firewood.
When it comes to performance, the numbers mean less
than the comfort of the creatures. In the old building, it was
difficult to stoke the woodstove, since all the cats and dogs
were welded to it, soaking up the heat. In the new building,
the cats and dogs snooze happily on the warm solar slab.
The wonder of solar heat never gets old. Karen and I wander
around barefoot on the solar slab at night. Its warm to the
touch even though there may be feet of snow piled up
outside.
An unexpected boon of this solar building is its
summertime performance. The south-facing windows are
shaded from the summer sun by overhangs, and ship very
little heat into the building. The tight building envelope and
high degree of insulation make the building impervious to
the summers heat. The outside temperature often gets into
the high 90s here on summer days. The inside of the house
rarely gets above 75F (24C). We just open all the many
operable windows at night, and allow the cool mountain
breezes to chill down the buildings interior and the thermal
slab. First thing in the morning, we close all the windows
and trap the cool inside the building. During summer days,
we can keep the building about 23F (-5C) cooler inside
than outside.
Lessons Learned
During the decades it took us to effectively use solar
energy in our home, we learned several lessons that apply to
anyone wanting to live with solar energy. Solar energy
systems do not have to be bought and installed all at once.
They can grow over a period of years as you can afford
them. Using solar energy is like buying a home instead of
renting it. With renting, the payments never end, but when
you buy, you eventually own it. Its the same with energy.
You can pay the monthly bill, or you can own the generating
equipment yourself. Solar energy provides freedom
freedom to live where you want, even if its off-grid,
freedom from monthly utility bills, and freedom from
blackouts.
While its been a long strange trip, we wouldnt have
had it any other way.
Access
Richard Perez, Home Power, PO Box 520, Ashland, OR
97520 541-941-9716 richard.perez@homepower.com
www.homepower.com
Richard and Joe (HP publisher and CEO) recline in the cozy
warmth of the solar-heated movie watching zone.
137
www.homepower.com
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MEMBER
138
home power 100 / april & may 2004
questions & answers
Can I Go Off-Grid?
Ive been thinking a lot about being off the grid, or
maybe less dependant on the grid. How do I know if my site
can use solar, wind, or hydropower? I live in Ohio and we
rarely see the sun. And the wind doesnt blow 24/7, at least
not enough to generate much. David Ruck
N8YMZ@cboss.com
Hi David, Thanks for writing. The only way to find out if you
have a good renewable energy site is to do a survey. See the
interview with Chris LaForge in HP82 for lots of information on
surveying for RE. If you are unfamiliar with RE, often it is best if
a reputable pro does the survey. That way you can be positive
about the findings. And at that point, you have somebody that can
help you to the next stepsdesigning, purchasing, and installing
the RE system.
I live in an area that is considered rain forest, and is foggy and
rains quite a bit. Yet I live off-grid with solar electricity, and rarely
find myself using my backup generator. So things might be better
than you think in Ohio.
Common thinking these days is to stay on-grid if you can net
meter a system, because a utility-intertie system is the most
efficient use of solar-electric panels. And you really do not need
battery backup unless utility outages are frequent or lengthy in
your area. For on-gridders, the decision to go off-grid is mostly a
political one based on their feelings about their utility or being self-
sufficient. Michael Welch michael.welch@homepower.com
Fuse Sizing & Placement
I have some background in residential (110/220 VAC)
electrical systems, but am new to the DC world. I am in the
process of setting up a simple portable DC electrical system
(a deep cycle battery on a hand truck), and have two
questions regarding proper overcurrent protection. The
system will initially be charged by a regulated battery
charger, but will soon incorporate a PV panel.
Much of the material I have read in back issues of HP
indicates sizing the safety protection (typically a fuse) for
short circuit amperage, often in the multi-thousand amp
range. What concerns me is that it seems that lower
ampacity components (such as the wiring) could heat up
(with undesirable side effects) before the high ampacity fuse
would blow. Shouldnt the fuse be the current limiting
device, and therefore have an amp rating equivalent to that
of the wiring (for example, a 50 A fuse for short runs of #6
wiring)? For device protection, there will be lower amperage
fuses on each of the circuits this power supply will feed.
Second, since current from the battery is from negative
to positive, it seems that I would want the safety fuse to be
as close as possible to the negative battery terminal;
however, most diagrams I have seen (and the manufacturer
of the battery charger I have) show all fusing in the positive
leg of the systems. Does it matter which leg is fused? Thanks
in advance for any specific assistance you can offer, and for
the wealth of information in your magazine. Tim Maxwell
tmacswell@earthlink.net
Hello Tim, Youre right on target here. The fuse/breaker in a
given circuit is based on the gauge of the wire its protecting15
Afor #14, 20 Afor #12, 30 Afor #10, etc. These amperage ratings
are the same for AC or DC, but keep in mind that DC is typically
running at a lower voltage, so the current is higher.
The reason the positive lead is typically fused relates to
grounding. According to the National Electrical Code (NEC),
all DC systems operating above 50 VDC must have the DC
negative bonded to the systems equipment ground. Keep in mind
that 24 VDC nominal systems will theoretically operate at more
than 50 VDC (open circuit voltage of modules plus derating
factors), so only 12 VDC nominal systems can technically be
ungrounded.
The reason the fuse is placed in the positive leg is to keep the
negative-to-ground path intact if the fuse or breaker opens the
circuit due to overcurrent. If the fuse was in the negative leg, this
negative-to-ground path would be an open circuit, and the
grounding of the system would be defeated. Let me know if you
have any additional questions and thanks for reading the mag!
Joe Schwartz joe.schwartz@homepower.com
Selective Surface Recipe
Hello Home Power, Keep up the good workyour
magazine has some incredible articles. I am working on a
solar hot water collector for our home in southern Alberta,
and was wondering if HP has ever come across a recipe to
make and apply a selective surface. I realize that a
selective coating is not a necessity for the DIYers flat plate
collector, but I would sure like to try. Thank you. Sincerely,
Sam Lougheed ssl@myexcel.ca
Hi Sam, The only product Ive ever heard of or that we have
ever used is Solkote. This is a semi-selective paint0.28 to 0.49
emissivity when applied correctly. To apply it correctly, you
should follow the manufacturers directions to the letter. Contact
Solec, 129 Walters Ave., Ewing, NJ 08638 609-883-7700 Fax:
609-497-0182 solec@attglobal.net www.solec.org. Trying to
make a black chrome selective surface in a home workshop or
garage is pretty much out of the question. Good luck, Chuck
Marken chuck@aaasolar.com
Energy Math
I have a small RE system running at 12 volts. The battery
capacity is 460 amp-hours. I figure I have about 230 AH
available if I dont want to drain the batteries more than half
way. Question: Is it correct to multiply these 230 amp-hours
by 12 volts and figure on 2,760 available watt-hours? Thanks
for your help. Wylie watchman@tds.net
Yes, Wylie, thats correct. Volts x Amps = Watts. Volts x
Amp-Hours = Watt-Hours. Make sure youve figured the amp-
hour capacity of your battery bank correctly. Amp-hours are not
additive when you wire batteries in series. For instance, two, 6
volt, 230 AH batteries in a 12 V system is 230 AH at 12 V.
Also, make sure you derate for system inefficiency. Batteries
are generally thought to be about 80 percent efficient, and overall
system efficiency is in the 65 to 75 percent range. Its better to
139
www.homepower.com
Q& A
estimate low and be pleasantly surprised than to run short on
energy or damage your batteries by overdischarging them. Ian
Woofenden ian.woofenden@homepower.com
MPPT Basics
I am a little confused about maximum power point
tracking (MPPT) controllers. Do these controllers work
better with panels like the Shell SQ 160-PC that have a
higher peak power voltage or the Kyocera KC158G that
have a higher maximum power current? Fred Bennett, C&C
Services cncservices@kingmanaz.net
Hello Fred, MPPT trackers work best on modules (or arrays)
with a higher voltage at the maximum power point. Its a voltage
thingthe MPPT converts that extra voltage into more current.
Richard Perez richard.perez@homepower.com
Wooden Wind Turbine Blades
Hello, I am in search of information on refinishing
wooden wind turbine blades. Would you have any
suggestions on where to find the information needed to do
an effective job? Thank you for your time. Alexandra
Papasavas alex_papasavas@hotmail.com
As former owner of Lake Michigan Wind & Sun for seventeen
years, I carved many a wood blade for a variety of wind turbines
that are or were on the market. In fact, we were the largest supplier
of wood replacement blades in the country during that time. Wood
blades work well, provided they are protected from the elements.
That means protecting against erosion of the coating, as well as
UV from sunlight and penetration by water. Any of these will
quickly deteriorate wood blades.
The best way that we developed to finish wood blades was to
use very high quality automotive paint. Wind generator blades
live in similar environments to carshigh winds, erosion due to a
variety of substances flying thru the air, intense sunlight, freezing
cold temps, rain, snow, sleet, hailyou get the idea.
We primed the wood with DuPont Imron with a
paintbrush. Imron is a really nasty polyurethane paint that
does an excellent job as a primer. Its typically used to paint
semi-trucks and industrial machinery. This coat raises the
grain, but after you sand the primed coat down, you end up
with a really hard and tough base for the top coats. Imron costs
about US$20 or so a quart, plus the activator. It will take at
least a half quart to do three, 7 foot blades. It takes about two
weeks for this coat to dry or set up. After the primer set up,
we balanced the blades.
The top coats we used were DuPont Centari, a high quality
automotive finish. This is really a system of coatings, all of which
are spray painted. The Centari system (that is, all of the various
paints, hardeners, and other agents) will set you back at least
US$80 for a set of three 7 foot blades.
The first two coats are a fill and sand primer, followed by a
sealer. The top coat is an acrylic enamel finish, with an activator
added to allow the paint to set up. Added to this coat are a
hardener and a flexing agent, which allows the paint to flex with
the blades without popping off. (Wind turbine blades flex just like
plastic automobile parts do.) While all four of these coats are
applied in one day, it takes about a week for the top coat to set up.
After this top coat is set up, the leading edge tape is applied. This
tape is an adhesive aliphatic resin material that is UV stabilized
and very resistant to erosion. Its purpose is to protect the paint on
the leading edges of the blades.
While this method is expensive, I have had blades in the field
for ten years before they have needed repainting. You can probably
get by with some cheaper paints, but youll be back on the tower
making repairs to the paint surface much more frequently. Mick
Sagrillo, Sagrillo Power & Light, E3971 Bluebird Rd., Forestville,
WI 54213 Phone/Fax: 920-837-7523 msagrillo@itol.com
Send your questions to
Home Power magazine at
letters@homepower.com or
PO Box 520, Ashland, OR 97520

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Make every day special
The natural ingredients of our products
get their energy from the sun
Whether youre selling via the Web, mail-order
catalog, storefront, or all of the above, an educated
customer makes your job a lot easier. Help them
along by including Home Power magazine and our
complete CD-ROM-based back issue library in your
product mix. Theres no more trusted source in print
for accurate, reliable RE information and instruction.
For easy marketing, we'll provide full descriptive
copy, high and low resolution product images, logos,
and free samples for in-house reference.
Contact Scott.Russell@homepower.com
or 541-601-4640 for dealer terms.
Give your
Give your
business a
business a
Power boost!
Power boost!
Attention Retailers
140
home power 100 / april & may 2004
readers marketplace
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citurbine@aol.com web page:
canyonhydro.com HP10002
EARTH SHELTERED HOMES This
definitive manual by noted authority
Loren Impson features detailed
building instructions for amazingly
affordable and practical Ferro Cement
Domes. Only $15 from Loren, 71
Holistic, Mt. Ida AR 71957
www.2BbyD.com HP10003
COSOLAR.COM discount prices from
Colorado Solar Electric. New Shell
SQ80 in stock $328. OutBack Inverters
in stock 1-800-766-7644 HP10004
SINGLE AND DUAL AXIS SOLAR
TRACKER CONTROLS up to 48V and
5A output. www.theanalogguy.com
HP10005
WIND TURBINES! Best prices
nationwide. Bergey & AWP.
www.pineridgeproducts.com 406-738-
4284 HP10006
SURPLUS INDUSTRIAL BATTERIES:
Save up to 70% on unused military and
industrial batteries. Many types and
sizes, super H.D. Factory crated. Also
chargers, wind and solar equipment,
new and used. D.P.S.D. Inc. 3807 W.
Sierra Hwy. #6, Acton CA 93510. 661-
269-5410. Fax 661-269-1303. HP10007
ALMOST FREE SOLAR POWER!
Unbelievably cheap (under $500) DIY
systems for home, cabin, rv, boat.
PowerFromSun.com. HP10008
COLORADO MTN RETREAT-
Recreational paradise 50 min from
Aspen. 1500 SF residence, 3500 SF
shop. 1 KW, year-round, hydro-elect
grid-tied UPS. 11 ac, great views,
southern exp, bordering national
forest. Gravity-fed piped irrigation with
senior water rights, springs & creek
frontage. $750,000. May be purchased
with 25 KW grid-tied hydro elect plant.
Call 970-927-4212 HP10031
WAREHOUSE CLEANING SALE, New
solar modules: 2 Sharp 165s; 2
BPSX150; 2 BPSX120U; 2 KC158s-$3
per watt + shipping fm 91361. Inverters,
Xantrex STXR2500 Grid-tied, UL $1,500
ea. 2 used SW4048PV inverters (36
VDC/110A nom. 120 VAC/60A really)
Grid-tied inverters non-UL, Trace rebuilt
in factory boxes w/receipts, SWODE
cabinets GFI boards & GFI transformer.
Ominion 6kW, 330 VDC-120 VAC Bi-
polar UL used inverter $1,500 +
shipping, $1,000 + shipping ea. 805-
497-9808 fax
805-497-6199,
gj@solarelectricalsystems.com
HP10009
POWERPULSE(r) SULFATION
BUSTERS endorsed by R. Perez! 12V
$69.95 free UPS. 800-222-7242 for
other models/wholesale prices. email:
abrahamsolar@hotmail.com Siemens
40 watt: $170! Ask about other surplus
modules or any energy gear. Veteran
Colorado equipment broker; happy
clients since 1984. HP10010
VIDEOS AVAILABLE: NEW-GUERILLA
SOLAR INSTALL, Introduction to Solar
Electricity, Introduction to Solar Pool
Pumps, How To Solar Installation
Video VHS and DVD
www.igotsolar.com HP10011
ECOMALL: The largest environmental
portal of earth-friendly companies and
resources. Renewable energy
companies, news and information.
www.ecomall.com. To advertise, call
845-679-2490. HP10012
LARGE GAS REFRIGERATORS 12, 15 &
18 cubic foot propane refrigerators. 15
cubic foot freezers 800-898-0552 Ervins
Cabinet Shop, 220 N County Rd. 425E.,
Arcola, IL 61910 HP10013
XXXXXXXXX UNI-SOLAR XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX 64 Watts $319 XXXXXXXX
New 105AH AGM 12V batteries-Reg
$185, Sale $75. TraceX SW5548 (GTI
unit) $1995. Ex 2KW inverter SB $850.
Buy, sell New/Used 760-949-0505
HP10014
HONDA GENERATORS - 1000 to 10,500
watts. Fast shipping and great prices!
www.hayesequipment.com
1-800-375-7767 HP10015
INVERTER, TRACE ENGG. Model
SW5548 x2. Like New $5000 OBO.
501-679-7046 HP10046
VERMONT PV DEALER. David
Palumbo/Independent Power & Light
has been designing and installing PV
systems for more than 16 years.
OutBack, Studer, Xantrex and Exceltech
inverters. Evergreen, Shell, BP, Kyocera
PVs. Harris Hydro. Trojan,
Surrette/Rolls, and SLA batteries.
Honest dealer who offers personal
support and service. David is one of
the original RE pioneers... he knows
how to really squeeze all the energy
out of a KWH! Richard Perez (HP60).
IP&L, 462 Solar Way Drive, Hyde Park,
VT 05655. Phone 802-888-7194. Email:
ipl@sover.net. Web site:
www.independent-power.com. No
catalog requests please. Please call for
appointment before visiting. HP10016
DC SUBMERSIBLE WELL PUMPS.
Complete, ready to install. $187
includes IMMEDIATE FREE SHIPPING.
Visit www.nemopumps.com or call
1-877-684-7979 HP10017
I AM A SOLAR WHOLESALER looking
for retailers to carry my solar
electronic and hobby goods. Phone #
(916) 486-4373. Please leave message.
HP10018
WANTED: SOLEC SQ-80 solar module.
E-mail wstef@yahoo.com or call
650 740 3337 HP10019
TELLURIDE COLORADO: Off the Grid
Properties! Hot Springs, Riverside,
solar powered homes, large and small
ranches. Find your own place in the
sun with the only solar powered real
estate office in Colorado. T.R.I.
(970) 728-3205 1-800-571-6518
HP10020
EDTA RESTORES SULFATED
BATTERIES. EDTA tetra sodium salt,
$12/lb. plus $5 S&H for 1st lb. plus $1
S&H for each additional lb. Trailhead
Supply, 325 E. 1165 N., Orem, UT
84057, (801) 225 3931, email:
trailheadsupply@webtv.net, info. at:
www.webspawner.com/users/edta.
HP10021
SOLAR ELECTRIC INC. Lowest prices
under the sun! 5555 Santa Fe St #D,
San Diego, CA 92109; 800-842-5678,
www.solarelectricinc.com HP10022
www.LOWESTCOSTSOLAR.com Do it
Yourself! PV Panels, Wind Turbines,
Charge Controllers, Kits BEST PRICES,
ONLINE SUPPORT HP10023
141
www.homepower.com
readers marketplace
VARI-CYCLONE: DC powered ceiling
fan, 40% more airflow with no increase
in power consumption. For more info
contact RCH Fanworks, the #1
manufacturer of DC powered ceiling
fans, 2173 Rocky Crk. Rd. Colville, WA
99114 PH: 509-685-0535, email:
info@fanworks.com, Web:
www.fanworks.com, Dealer inquiries
welcome. HP10024
SURVIVAL UNLIMITED.COM -
Emergency Preparedness & Survival
Supplies. Wind Power from 439.00+.
Many great products & prices!
1-800-455-2201
www.survivalunlimited.com HP10025
PHOTOWATT DROPSHIPPED FROM
FACTORY DIRECT TO YOU, $3.30 PER
WATT, 25 yr warranty. Minimum order
10 modules. Contact Sun @
305-381-6166 HP10026
DANBY PROPANE 8 cu. ft. refrig.
freezer $800 shipped direct from
factory. Call Sun 305-381-6166
HP10026
KUBOTA DIESEL GENERATOR Low Boy
6.5 KW, super quiet, only 64 DCB. Only
$3,550. Call Sun 305-381-6166
HP10026
AIR LAND 403 $349 305-539-0403
HP10026
REMANUFACTURED INVERTERS,
LARGE INVENTORY, UP TO 55% OF
LIST, with factory warranties, all
brands, all sizes. Call Sun at
305-536-9917 Can be drop shipped
from factory. HP10026
WIZBANG BATTERY DESULFATORS
*NEW* $30ea. 4 or more $25ea. Free
Shipping in USA. E-mail:
Wizbang4me@aol.com for
datasheet/orders. HP10027
CONVERT WOOD TO ELECTRICITY:
Steam engine powered generator sets
http://www.geocities.com/steamgen/
918-520-7711 or wjjcg7@cox.net 2827
N. Kingston Ct. Tulsa OK 74115
HP10028
BUY THE BEST. Jacobs long & short
case wind generators with rebuilt
governors. 405-567-3750 HP10029
OK PASSIVE SOLAR HOME E Okla. 40A
woods/pasture 1 KW solar/wind, good
water well, solar water heater, see at
www.holdenville-ok-realestate.com,
listing #10652; or call Welch Real Estate
405-379-3331 HP10030
MOVE TO BEAUTIFUL, SCENIC N.
IDAHO! We have many alternative
energy homes to choose from.
www.maidenrock.com Maiden Rock
Real Estate Sandpoint, ID
1-877-428-7370 HP10032
SWWP H80 48V or alter. Never used
$1650. 2 GSE used hot air collectors.
As is. Can e-mail photos. $800 includes
crating. 64 tower for Bergey XL.1. Gin
pole used 3 times. $900. Visa MC.
734-913-9944 www.sur.biz HP10033
PUMP WATER FOR FREE; How to Build
your own Hydraulic Ram Pump,
Detailed easy to follow instructions
from local plumbing parts.
www.nwipr.com or call 877-212-3371
HP10034
2 TRACE SW5548 INVERTERS on Trace
panel with C40 Charge Contr. &DC
Disc. $4000; 2 Onan 16kw propane
gensets < 6 hrs. $2500 each. Contact
Chris 719-330-7715
ckp500@yahoo.com HP10035
WWW.EARTHTOYS.COM - Online
library and emagazine all about
alternative energy systems and
equipment 10036
SOLARFRIDGE SFRF-19 High-Eff.
refrigerator. 16 cu. ft., 120V. Brand new
(store price $2,790). Power use: 0.71
KWH. $2,000 OBO. Email:
texashillcountryman@yahoo.com
HP10037
REBUILT JACOBS 140v, Wincharger
parts, Hatz diesel 24v generator $350.
406 547-2266 HP10038
FOR SALE: SELF-SUFFICIENT
RETREAT by Sea of Cortez-Playa San
Jorge MX (free zone). Approx 2.4
acres, 13 condos, mainhouse, duplex,
bakery, large shop, pool. Boat/RV
storage. Fenced & gated. 4 hrs fm
Phx. Sunbelt Business Advisors LLC.
SBAaz.com. 480-223-1234 ext 13, 24
HP10040
OFF GRID PASSIVE SOLAR
ADOBE/FRAME 2300 sq ft 3/2 home 2+
acres studio/gar East Mtns. 20 mins to
Albuquerque NM MLS 207423 Contact
Barry Stone Pru SW Rlty 800-990-7315
HP10042
LAND FOR SALE- Belize, Central
AmericaCommunity for sml
farmersmaryjanewalport@msn.com
HP10041
Readers
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from individuals must supply
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being sold. Businesses must
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While Home Power is doing
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responsibility for items being
sold.
SOLAR STREAM sells innovative solar
water pumps for stock watering,
irrigation and water supply (up to 150
gal/day) and kinetic solar fountains.
www.solar-stream.com (603) 300-7081
HP10043
FREE SOLAR EDUCATION KIT w/$18
year membership 845-246-0600
WoodstockMuseum.org HP10044
FOR SALE-40 SECLUDED ACRES, no
restrictions,3BR 2B 16X12 shop,
property taxes are $90/yr,solar tracker
poles etc remain on
property,$100,000 many pictures &
info at www.empyrean-eye.com
HP10045
WINCHARGER-SW Windpower. AirX
Marine 12V 400W. New, in box $400
(1/2 price). 360-268-5158 HP10047
Feather River Solar Electric Bill Battagin of
Taylorsville has been designing, installing and servicing
renewable energy systems since 1982. PV, micro-hydro,
hybrids; grid intertie or stand alone systems. CAElect.l Lic. #
681552, Outback Cert. Tech. We live and work with RE.
Serving Plumas, Lassen, Sierra, Butte Cos. 530.284.7849
frenergy@psln.com, www.frenergy.net
MT. SHASTA
ENERGY SERVICES
Alternative Energy Solutions, Reno, Nevada. We
design, sell, install and service PV, wind, off grid and grid tie
RE systems, Nevada State Licensed and Bonded Contractor,
Xantrex / Trace Authorized Service Center, Xantrex Certified
Dealer, Outback Factory trained field service technicians and
Certified Uni-Solar field laminate installer. 775-857-1157
toll free 1-866-491-SOLR
Oasis Montana Inc. designs, sells & installs renewable
energy power systems in western Montana and also offers
efficient and gas appliances. Our technician Dan Healy is
NABCEP certified for PV installations. Toll-free 877-OASISMT
or 877-OASISPV web sites: www.oasismontana.com
www.grid-tie.com www.PVsolarpumps.com
E-Mail: info@oasismontana.com
Burnham-Beck & Sun, Solar & Wind Energy Systems.
Located in Fort Collins, Colorado, we make site evaluations,
system designs, and installations in Northern Colorado,
Southern Wyoming. We drop-ship equipment anywhere in
the US. Retail products include PV modules, wind turbines,
inverters, batteries, efficient appliances. 970-482-6924.
mailto:BurnhamBeckSun@aol.com. www.burnhambeck.com
Solar Solutions Ltd. provides photovoltaic, wind &
hybrid power systems & components for stand alone systems,
grid tied, RVs & remote water pumping. Committed to
providing the highest quality service & customer satisfaction.
Aproud member of Colorado SEIAand a lifetime member of
the Colorado RE Society and ASES. Xantrex Certied Dealer.
888 44solar or 888 447-6527 www.solarsolutions.com
ECS Solar Energy Systems (tel) 352-377-8866
www.ECS-solar.com / tom@ECS-solar.com We service FL, the
Caribbean and the Southeastern U.S. FL's first solar contractor
since 1977. Solar pool heating, hot water, and electric systems
commercial & residential. Solar lic. # CVC056643 Florida
state certified for "grid-connected" systems. Contact us now
to receive a free solar informational booklet.
Alternative Power Solutions Off-grid installations
anywhere in Maine. Solar Wind Generators. Reliable
independent power systems installed by an expert.
Full service and support. 207-946-4444
www.alterativepowersolutions.com
Backwards to the Future Ltd, installing, designing
and supplying solar equipment since 1986. OEM supplier of
evacuated tube heat pipe technology for DHW & hydronic
heating. Systems building integration by joint venture with
registered architect. State licensed residential builder & solar
mechanical contractor. POB 409 Fennville MI 49408
tel: 269 2366179 email: info@BTFsolar.com www.BTFsolar.com
S.U.R. Energy Systems, LCis South East Michigan's
premier provider of wind, solar electric, and solar thermal
systems. Any combination of design, sales, and installation.
"Do it yourself" assistance to custom turnkey systems. We do
power point seminars. Willing to travel. VISA, MC
www.sur.biz sales@sur.biz 734.913.9944
Offline Independent Energy Systems, Since 1983.
An electrical contracting co., we specialize in utility intertie
(with state rebate & net metering) & off grid systems. Owned
& operated by Don & Cynthia Loweburg in Central CAEast
of Fresno. We run our home & business with solar electricity.
POB 231, North Fork, CA. 93643, (CAlic# 661052) ph 559 877
7080, fx 559 877 2980, ofln@aol.com www.psnw.com/~ofln
Mt. Shasta Energy Services offers renewable energy
services in the South Siskiyou County area of Northern
California. Specializing in solar, wind and small-scale
hydroelectric equipment sales, consultation, design,
installation and maintenance. An Electron Connection dealer,
owned and operated by Todd Cory, located in Mt. Shasta
California. 530-926-1079 toddcory@yahoo.com
Energy Alternatives, Serving Canadians for over 20
years, is a full service energy systems contractor with a team
of professional installers throughout Canada. We offer expert
consultation and design services, turn-key installed systems
or DIY kits. Extensive product inventory for fast delivery.
Please visit www.EnergyAlternatives.ca to learn more about
our products and services. Call 800-265-8898
Remote Power Inc Greg Egan, President. Licensed
electrician since 1982. Outback certified field service
technician. MREAtrained wind system installer. Design,
installation & service of wind, pv, & hydro systems. Bush jobs
no problem. Large inventory of inverters, pv panels, efficient
appliances, etc. at our shop near Fairbanks. Call (907) 457-
4299 or 1-888-257-3639. www.remotepowerinc.com
Akeena Solar is the nation's largest residential solar
electric installer with two NABCEP-Certified PV Installers on
staff. Our design/build services coupled with our complete
financial analyses, based on actual site conditions, support
our growing list of satisfied customers in making the switch
to clean reliable energy. Serving CA, NJ, MA, RI, CT, & NY.
Visit www.akeena.net or call 888-akeena-8
Electron Connection Licensed in CAand Oregon.
NABCEP Certified installer. Serving northernmost California
and southern Oregon. PV, wind, microhydro installs. (800)
945-7587 email: bob-o@electronconnection.com,
www.electronconnection.com
Horizon Industries, San Diego Calif solar showroom,
retail installation: Horizon Industries has been servicing,
designing and installing solar hot water, solar pool heating,
and solar electric on and off grid systems in San Diego county
since 1984. Our showroom is at 120 N. Pacific #G7,
San Marcos, (760) 744-1001.
installers directory
Do you want a renewable energy system, but don't want to install
it yourself? You deserve a system that meets your expectations and
budget! Arenewable energy professional will design and install a safe,
code-compliant system, and offer you service and support after the
sale. Check out the state-by-state installer listings below.
Home Power does not guarantee the quality provided by the businesses listed below
please shop carefully, request references and certifications, and compare.
Alaska
Colorado
California Florida
Canada
Maine
Michigan
Montana
Nevada
BTFsolar
.com
Remote
Power
Inc.
Remote
Power
Inc.
MT. SHASTA
ENERGY SERVICES
www.
horizonsolar
.com
142
home power 100 / april & may 2004
installers directory
New Hampshire
Akeena Solar is the nation's largest residential solar
electric installer with two NABCEP-Certified PV Installers on
staff. Our design/build services coupled with our complete
financial analyses, based on actual site conditions, support
our growing list of satisfied customers in making the switch
to clean reliable energy. Serving CA, NJ, MA, RI, CT, & NY.
Visit www.akeena.net or call 888-akeena-8
Positive Energy Inc. High quality renewable power
systems. Licensed, bonded, and insured specialty electrical
contractor serving Santa Fe & northern NM. Owner Allan
Sindelar is a NABCEP Cert. Solar PV Installer, Xantrex Trace
Cert. Dealer, Outback Cert. Field Service Tech., Sunnyboy
Cert. Installer, and HP author. 505-424-1112, 505-424-1113 fax.
www.positiveenergysolar.com allan@positiveenergysolar.com.
Daystar Energy Systems We're making it easy to
choose renewable energy. Unparalleled pricing guarantee,
exceptional installation service, and backed up with a
comprehensive warranty. Not your average installer, ask
about our Sweat Equity and Referral Incentive Programs.
Putting customers first in NY and NJ. Call Desi 585-224-9105
www.daystarenergysystems.com
Electron Connection Licensed in CAand Oregon.
NABCEP Certified installer. Serving northernmost California
and southern Oregon. PV, wind, microhydro installs. (800)
945-7587 email: bob-o@electronconnection.com,
www.electronconnection.com
SC Solar designs/installs PV systemsresidential, US
military, solar lighting, water pumping, traffic management
power systems. Solar thermal & micro hydro. Custom UPS
systems for off grid. Installation area: NC, SC, VA, GA, TN, &
Mexico. For more info & credentials: 803-802-5522
www.scsolar.com CCR# & Cage Code #1SLJ5.
Meridian Energy Systems specializes in the design
and installation of high quality solar and wind energy
systems throughout the State of Texas...and beyond. Factory
trained technicians and NABCEP Inaugural Certificant on
staff. Visit our website www.meridiansolar.com or call
toll-free: 888-477-3050
Sunweaver Incorporating innovative technologies for
power, water and heat. Encouraging knowledge and
direction towards resource responsible solar living. Installing
in New England and the Carribean since 1985.
www.sunweaver.org. mailto: info@sunweaver.org
603-942-5863 Showroom hours: Monday-Saturday 11am-6pm
Vermont Solar Engineering has provided the finest
in renewable energy throughout New York and New
England, since 1991. We design, install, and support solar
electric, wind electric, and solar hot water systems.
K. Herander, NAPCEP certified installer. Xantrex Certified
Dealer. NYSERDAeligible installer. Vermont Solar and Wind
Partner. www.vermontsolar.com 1-800-286-1252
SolarWind Energy Systems, LLCP.O. Box 1234,
Okanogan, WA 98840 (509) 422-5309 www.solar-wind.us
WACont. # SOLARES983RQ. Serving Eastern WA&
Northern ID grid-tied & off-grid RE systems. Solar PV, wind,
solar hot water, remote stock watering. Design, installation,
service, maint. Solar Energy International (SEI) trained. Lic. &
bonded. bclark@solar-wind.us or jmartin@solar-wind.us
Sound Power Contractor Reg. # SOUNDPI983NW
www.soundpower.us 425-844-8748 phone 425-844-8928
fax Licensed, bonded, insured electrical contractor.
Renewable energy specialist. We will travel anywhere in
Washington to install PV, wind, and microhydro systems.
Great Northern Solar. In business since 1988. "Waking
the Northland to renewable energy & sustainable living!"
We install PV, wind and microhydro systems. Large focus on
educationworkshops on residential and commercial
installations available. Instructor at MREA. Contact Chris
LaForge at 715 774-3374, email: gosolar@cheqnet.net 77480
Evergreen Rd Ste #1 Port Wing, 54865
Creative Energies Wyomings premiere full-service RE
company. Solar & wind power for remote cabins, homes &
ranches, utility grid-tied solar & wind power, solar hot water
& heating, solar water pumping & passive solar home design.
We custom design a system that fits your needs & budget.
Trace certified dealer. Phone/fax: 307-332-3410 toll free 866-
332-3410 info@creativeenergies.biz www.creativeenergies.biz
Our readers continue to look to Home Power for referrals to
RE installation professionals in their area.
For more information or to get your business listed in HPs
installers directory, e-mail advertising@homepower.com
or call 541.512.0201.
North Texas Renewable Energy Inc. North Texas
premier solar and small wind energy service. Complete
system design and installation. Available service contract
IndependenceReliabilityConservation. Jim Duncan
answers@NTREI.com 817.917.0527
New Jersey
New Mexico
Oregon
Texas
South Carolina
New York
Vermont
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming
RE Installer? Get Listed.
Texas, cont.
143
www.homepower.com
When Karen and I were living with kerosene lamps, we went to our
local public library looking for a better way to light up our nights. We
found nothing about small-scale renewable energy. As a result, one of
the first things we did when we started publishing Home Power sixteen
years ago was to give a subscription to our local public library.
If youd like to do the same for your public library, well split the cost of
the subscription with you. Inside the U.S., you pay $11.25 and well pay
the rest. Outside the U.S., the same offer stands, so call us for rates.
Richard Perez, Publisher
Check with your local library before signing them up. Eligible libraries must be open to the general public.
PO Box 520, Ashland OR 97520 800-707-6585 541-512-0201 subscription@homepower.com www.homepower.com
adopt a l i brary!
adopt a l i brary!
NTREI
144
home power 100 / april & may 2004
advertisers index
AAA Solar Supply 69
ABS Alaskan 114
Abundant Renewable Energy 44
Adopt a Library 143
Advanced Communication
Solutions 121
Advertising in Home Power 120
All Battery Sales & Service 85
Alternative Energy Engineering 20
Alternative Energy Store 125
Alternative Power & Machine 125
Alternative Technology Assoc 137
B.Z. Products 50
BackHome 131
Backwoods Solar Electric Systems 76
Baileys Inc 107
Beacon Power Corp 29
Bergey Windpower 31
Blue Sky Energy Inc 69
Bogart Engineering 111
BP Solar 2
Brand Electronics 103
BTF Ltd 136
Butler Sun Solutions 110
C. Crane Company 84
Central Boiler 137
CheapestSolar.com (ZAP) 60
CMD Power Systems 125
Communities magazine 124
Dankoff Solar Products 53
Direct Power and Water Corp 51
Earth Solar 19
Electro Automotive 106
Electron Connection 41
Energy Conservation Services 67
Energy Outfitters 11
Energy Systems & Design 92
EV Solar Products 125
Evergreen Solar 7
Forcefield 137
Fronius International 13
General Specialities 120
Gorilla Vehicles 99
Great Northern Solar 137
Harris Hydroelectric 121
Heavens Flame 124
Helios Energies 76
Hitney Solar Products 114
Home Power Back Issues 117
Home Power CD-ROMs 62
Home Power Resale 139
Home Power Solar1 CD-ROM 81
Home Power Sub Form 81
Home Power T-shirts 81
Homepower.com 80
Hutton Communications 91
Hydrocap 93
Hydro-Coil 93
Hydroscreen Co LLC 38
Inverter Repair 92
Jack Rabbit Energy Systems 125
John Drake Services, Inc. 38
Kelln Solar 111
KTA Services Inc 93
Kyocera Solar Inc OBC
Light It Technologies 119
Liquid Sun Hydro 113
Living Green Expo 92
Matrix Solar Technologies 77
Midwest Renewable Energy Fair
115
Mikes Windmill Shop 121
MK Battery/East Penn Mfg 53
Morningstar 110
MREA Workshops 110
New Electric Vehicles 131
New Society Publishers 61
North Country Sustainable
Energy Fair 111
Northern Arizona Wind & Sun 61
Northwest Energy Storage 27, 63,
125
Offline 114
Ontario Solar & Wind Inc 107
Outback Power Systems 6
Planetary Systems Inc 117
Power with Nature 121
Powertech Solar Ltd 78
Quick Start Specials 80
Rae Storage Battery Co 121
RAM Energy Systems 21
Renewable Energy Videos 81
RightHand Engineering 105
Rolls Battery Engineering 45
RWE SCHOTT Solar IBC
San Juan College 78
Simmons 139
SMA America Inc 4
Solar Converters 40
Solar Depot IFC
Solar Electric Inc 51
Solar Energy International 30, 79
Solar Living Institute 68
Solar Pathfinder 114
Solar Stream 137
Solar Village Institute 111
Solar Wind Works 107
Solarfest 120
Solartrax Power Stations 93
Solatron 91
SolFest Southwest 106
SOLSolar-On-Line 114
SOLutions in Solar Electricity 99
SolWest Fair 99
Southwest Solar 137
Southwest Windpower 39
St. Croix Press 52
Sun Electronics 12, 79, 91
Sun Frost 85
Sun Pumps Inc 77
SunDanzer 93
SunEarth Inc 107
Sunelco 45
SunWize 28, 63
Surrette Battery 85
Tech Traders Inc 76
Trojan Battery 40
U.S. Battery 5
UniRac 60
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Windstream Power Systems 125
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The Great Hydrogen
Debate
Sun Powered
Water Pumping,
Ghana, Africa
Green Energy Ideas
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Reverend Gyamfi, of Asakraka, Ghana
uses the first solar-pumped water
to the delight of the local schoolchildren.
Next Issue...
The Great Hydrogen
Debate
Sun Powered
Water Pumping,
Ghana, Africa
Green Energy Ideas
for Tight Budgets
April May 2004
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